In The Beginning There Was Darkness
by Xaphrin
Summary: (AU) When Raven runs away from home, she is discovered by the Teen Titans and her powers are quickly harnessed. But as time wears on, Raven's history is revealed and emotions errupt between her and a certain masked member. (Robin and Raven)
1. Chapter One

In the Beginning There was Darkness

(A Raven and Robin Fan-Fiction)

The day _she_ arrived was a lot like any other day, everyone was just loitering around the house in a lazy fashion, no special parties or conventions or anything of the like. The only _real_ difference was the weather. Instead of the normal bright skies of summer, it was dark, dreary, and raining in sheets… much like _she_ was. She was dark and shrouded in mystery, holding a like for the things of the dark, and she had been crying for a _very_ long time.

It had been an accident that the Titans had found her; there was a report of power-plant explosions and the Titans went to go check it out. They thought some one like Cinder-Block had been behind it, a fool who had no plan except to destroy something and bring out the Titans for a fight.

How wrong they were.

"Who's there!?" Robin called out, taking a step into the power-plant. Wow… whoever it was sure had a lot of strength, there were canisters and barrels that were crushed, dented, and torn from the walls. Everything in the plant was lying in a haphazard fashion, as if a tornado had torn through it.

"You wanna start a fight!? We're the Teen Titans and we-"

SLAM!

A barrel came flying from a far corner, narrowly missing Robin's head before crashing into the wall behind him.

"Okay…" Cyborg said carefully. "Looks like this guy doesn't want to talk."

"Friend-Robin, are you okay?" Starfire asked, landing from her flying position.

"Yeah, thanks, Star. I'm fine…" Robin said carefully, looking back at the barrel that had been crushed like a beer can at a frat party. He took a careful step forward into the darkness, then had to duck several more barrels.

"Dude, looks like this guy isn't joking around," Beast Boy commented rather unnecessarily. Cyborg rolled his eyes at him, then turned to Robin to wait for the cue.

"Titans, Go!"

Yep. That cue.

Robin said his trademark phrase and the Titans leapt into action, ready to fight whatever evil-doer was hiding in the shadows of the power plant. Each Titan rushed to a different part of the power-plant in order to find the stranger. Starfire and Beast Boy moved to the far left wall, Cyborg took the center, and Robin rushed into the corner where the flying barrels had originated from, a birdrang drawn in case of an emergency.

"I know you're there!" Robin said firmly, as he stepped lightly around some debris. "We won't hurt you if you come out quietly!" The darkness encompassed him, and in response he snapped on a light, just in time to see a dark figure skirt behind a large box. Robin smirked, then jumped on top of the box in a large, silent leap.

"If you hide, we'll- oh?" He shone the light into the darkness, only to find a pair of beautiful, watery, lavender eyes stare up at him. They looked sad, as if they had seen things that _no one_ should see.

Robin then did a dangerous thing, he jumped down next to the eyes. The gaze of this stranger intrigued him greatly, enough to act without thinking and put his life in peril. He raised the light, and watched as the figure shrank away from it and him.

"Who are you?" Robin asked, feeling no sense of danger from the person… only a very deep sadness.

The eyes studied Robin carefully, as they weren't sure if she should speak to the stranger. After a few moments, the eyes decided that Robin was safe enough for her to speak. "My name is Raven…" It was a female voice, flat and depressing, holding no emotion in it whatsoever. There was a pause before the girl spoke again. "I didn't mean to destroy your power plant… it was an accident."

"Oh?" Robin looked skeptically at the eyes. They narrowed in anger of his ignorant accusations.

"I can't control my powers sometimes…" The eyes narrowed more at him as the voice stopped talking suddenly. "Why am I telling _you_ this? It's none of _your_ business anyway." The eyes turned to leave, but not before Robin reached out to stop them. His fingers groped the dark before enclosing on a bunch of soft, heavy fabric, and a hood, that had shrouded the face, was pulled from the girl's head.

"Hey!" The voice cried angrily, "What are you doing, let me go!"

Robin pulled the girl closer to him and raised the light to shine upon her. Its golden rays fell on the most elegant face he had ever set eyes on. Her face was angular in the right places, rounded where it needed to be, featuring full lips, lavender hair, and those beautiful eyes that had intrigued him from the start. Robin could only stare at her for a moment, being able to say nothing.

The girl however, did _not_ like being attacked in such a way and struggled for her freedom. "Let! Me! **GO**!" She cried angrily, pulling futilely at the stranger's iron grip.

Suddenly, a small box suddenly landed on top of his head, jolting Robin out of his reverie but loosening his grip in return. His grip, however, was not loosened enough for the girl to run freely, but enough for her to slip out of her cloak and then flee back into the shield of darkness.

"Ow…" Robin moaned, rubbing the top of his head. That had been a box of tools. "Hey! Hey, come back here!" He cried, stuffing the dark cloak under his arm and following the fugitive into the darkness. "You've destroyed government property! Come back here!"

"Leave me _alone!_" Another barrel or box of some sort came flying at his head and Robin had to execute a back-flip in order to miss it. This caused him to loose the trail of the girl in question. His hissed slightly, but refused to give up and ran blindly into the darkness, searching for the girl.

What was the girl's name… what _was_ it… yes!

"RAVEN!" Robin yelled suddenly, hoping to startle her enough so she would at least stop or acknowledge him… or _something._ "Raven, come back here!!"

SLAM!

Robin found himself suddenly lying on his back on the cold, dirty floor with a deep pain running from his face through his chest. He growled angrily, realizing that he had lost the pursuit of the dark maiden.

"Woah…You okay there? What's got you speeding through the dark like that?" A deep voice asked him from above his head

Robin sighed deeply and brushed himself off before sitting up. "I'm fine, Cy. I found our culprit… but she got away."

"_She?_ You know it's a she?" Cyborg asked, helping Robin to his feet.

"Yeah, we talked for a minute… if you can _call_ it talking. Hey, where are the others? I have a feeling that this is the end of it tonight… besides-" Robin held up the dark cloak triumphantly- "I have this."

"A cloak?" Cyborg looked at him skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"_Her_ cloak."

Robin's companion smiled in realization of his plan. "Ahh… a DNA search."

"Precisely." Robin nodded. "She won't be running for long." He rubbed the bump forming on top of his head and frowned. "Besides, I've got to give some payback."

- - -

All four of the Titans trudged into the Tower, each soaked to the bone due to the heavy rain that continued to pour from the sky. They each returned to the evidence room, where Cyborg was currently in the process of hooking up the DNA search. Robin stood close to him and held the cloak in a large evidence bag, hoping that the stranger's DNA was not removed from its thick fabric.

"So, let me get this straight," Beast Boy said, looking strangely at the spiky-haired Titan. "You found this person, managed to carry on a miniscule conversation with her, and you still let her get away?"

Robin glared at him. "I didn't _let_ her get away, she levitated a tool box onto my head. I've got the bump to prove it."

"Levitated?" Starfire asked, blinking in slight confusion. "She has the power to move things without touching them?"

"I guess so." Robin shrugged. "I just know I would have seen her move her arms or something. Besides, I _know_ I was taller than her, so there's no way she could just 'drop' a tool box onto the top of my head."

"You know…" Cyborg said nonchalantly as he crawled underneath the table to hook-up some wires. "You should probably put some ice on that bump, and I'd go to the doctors to make sure you don't have a concussion or anything."

"Well," Robin replied conversationally. "When I start to act like a drunken sailor, I give you full permission to take me to the emergency room."

"When you start acting like a drunken sailor, then I'm going to pull out the video camera," Beast Boy stated cheerfully.

"Would you like me to retrieve some ice for your growing bump, Robin?" Starfire asked helpfully.

"Nah… but thanks for the offer, Star."

"Okay!" Cyborg said happily as he pulled himself from under the machine. "Let's have that cloak." Robin carefully pulled the cloak from the bag and handed it to Cyborg. He searched the hood until he found a strand of beautiful, lavender colored hair.

"You saw her, Rob. Was this the color of her hair?" Cyborg asked, looking at the specimen incredulously. Since when did people have _lavender_ hair? And there were no roots, which meant that it wasn't dyed either. That was really strange.

Robin looked at it carefully before nodding. "Yep."

"_Lavender_ hair?" Beast Boy asked, raising an eyebrow. "What is she, an alien?"

Cyborg dropped the hair into the scanner and watched as the monitor lit up with a map of the city. He then zoomed in a little red dot, made a face between confusion and shock, and turned back to Robin.

"Oookay…" He sia din a ver conversation-like tone. "Well, according to our DNA scanner and tracker… this 'Raven' girl is right outside our front door."

---

YAY! For all the people who were asking for it, I finally started it! Isn't it just GREAT!? Okay just a few miniscule notes:

1 – I don't own Teen Titans. Dur! If I did, Beast Boy would SO be mine.

2 – Review! Tell me if you liked it, tell me if you hated it, tell me to do a tap dance on the president's head. Whatever! Just tell me something, I love to reviews.

3 – Some Teen Titans stories that have worked their way on my favorites list and due to the fact that I can't review (damn AOL) I thought I should find some other way to give credit where credit is due:

**Ordinary **(Authrouress's Pick! - I REALLY liked it!)

**Closer**

**Bored**

**If The Stars Could Sing**

**Things Unsaid**

**The Sweet Hereafter**

**The Lies Beneath**

If you haven't read them yet, YOU SHOULD… okay enough with my yaking. You go have fun now!

Lots o' Love: Xaph!


	2. Chapter Two

****

In The Beginning There was Darkness

Chapter Two

__

July 21st 2003

- - -

Raven looked up at the masked face she had recently come to know and despise, and all within the same night too. This menace had, somewhere in that damned tower shaped like a 'T', every shred of dignity she had left. Translation: she was basically naked without her cloak.

"You have something that belongs to me," She stated flatly. "And I'd like it back, if you don't mind."

Robin raised an eyebrow, looking over the shapely figure. In the dark, her face and eyes were intriguing. In the light, her whole body was intriguing. She was clad in nothing but a tight, black leotard that accented her body, and Robin found himself examining her carefully. Every curve on her body was wild, primal, and lusty, making good sense leak from his brain. She was nothing like he had ever seen before… dark, mysterious… in a word: exotic.

"My cloak? Can I have it back?" The girl snarled angrily, pulling Robin from his thoughts quickly and turning his cheeks a bright red.

"Your cloak?" Robin asked calmly.

Raven sighed deeply, rolled her eyes, then held up a red, crescent-shaped object. "Do you want to trade for it? I'm assuming you've realized that you lost this… _thing_."

"It's a birdrang," He stated automatically, then held his hand out for it. "May I have it please, it's dangerous in the hands of an amateur."

Raven rolled her eyes again, feeling very exasperated with this _boy_. "Boys…" She muttered, but kept her fingers tightly wound around the curved spike of the 'birdrang'. "Look," She stated again, her tone just as flat as before, "I don't _care_ what it is… all I want is my cloak, and I'm sure you want this _thing_ back."

"Why were you trying to destroy the power-plant?" Robin asked suddenly.

Raven felt as if she had been hit with a ton of bricks. Why was this idiot so persistent? Had she _not_ already told him that she didn't _mean_ to destroy the power plant? "Listen… whatever your name is-"

"Robin," Robin interjected, feeling his pride deflate like a popped balloon. Didn't _everyone_ know about the Titans? Why would this evildoer be an exception.

"Okay, _Robin_," Raven said angrily, her patience wearing thin. "I told you that I didn't _mean_ to destroy your power-plant. It was an accident and I'm sorry."

"An _accident!?_" Robin cried incredulously, looking at Raven as if she had proclaimed herself leader of the 'little people'. "You call destroying a building that took up TWO city blocks an _accident_?"

"I didn't _completely_ destroy it… and yes, it _was_ an accident." Raven snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How?" Robin asked in complete disbelief. "I honestly want to know _how._"

Raven sighed deeply, then glanced up at the thundering sky. "Before I explain myself to you, can I at least come in? I'm being soaked by this rain and it's rather uncomfortable."

Robin noted that she was indeed soaked by the rain, and not even a single inch of her skin looked remotely dry. He had no choice but do the chivalrous thing and offer her refuge inside the Grand Hall of the Tower.

"Thank you," She said politely, after she was allowed inside.

Robin looked at her in shock. She was being _polite_!? Since when was evil _polite_?

"What?" Raven asked as she noted the strange look being passed her way. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"You said 'thank you'."

Raven rolled her eyes, then began to wring water from her hair. "I'm not rude," She stated matter-of-factly, "Nor am I as evil as you perceive me to be." She ruffled her hair in hope of getting air to her roots, then sighed as it all fell back into place.

"I perceive you to be pretty evil." Robin was desperately trying to ignore the sultry way water dripped from every facet of Raven's body, and keep his composure in front of her.

"Look, Robin, I'm not from earth, Okay?" Raven stated exasperatedly, finally giving up on her hair and turning back to the matter at hand. "I have no want, desire, or intention to wreak havoc, destroy precious artifacts for the fun of it, or enslave the human race. I honestly couldn't care less. It was an _accident_ that I destroyed the power-plant and I'm promising you that it won't happen again."

"We'll get to the rest of the things you just mentioned later, but for right now explain to me _why_ you keep calling destroying the power-plant an 'accident'. I'm missing that point entirely." Robin said, frustrated. This girl was making it too hard to pump information from her.

Raven sighed deeply, feeling her body become weighted with exasperation. "Fine. I have the ability to control the world around me by using my aura. The way I do this is by tapping into my emotional powers, however, if my emotions become uncontrollable _I_ loose control of my powers and things are done as my emotions see fit." She took a breath and looked the boy in his enlightened, masked eyes. "Need I explain the state of your power-plant?"

"So, _that's_ how you were able to levitate that tool box onto my head."

"Yes and no," Raven said in a conversational tone. "_That_ was a defense mechanism. You wouldn't let me go, so I was going to _make_ you let me go."

"You know, I have a bump because of that." Robin said grudgingly.

"Tell me again when I care." Raven replied in a mock-pleasant tone.

"So…" Robin began again, trying to steer the conversation back on track as everything began to click together. "Did you lose control of your powers tonight?"

"Ahh, you're not as stupid as you led me to belive," Raven stated rather sarcastically to the masked hero. "And I was afraid I was going to have to spell it out for you. You're right, Robin, I _did_ loose control of my emotions this evening."

"Over what?"

Raven's face went pale and her eyes went wide at such a question. Her lips trembled softly as she tried to regain her composure in front of this boy. She had been trying to everything to block out the memories and reasons… but they were coming back quicker and harder than ever. 'I don't want to remember…' she thought, wishing the coldness in her heart and bones would go away. 'I don't want to remember anything…'

"I don't think that's any of your business," Raven stated angrily, hoping the powerless super-hero didn't sense her hesitation in telling him off.

"Maybe I think it is," He replied, looking at her strangely. In spite of her efforts to make him angry about her snide remarks, Robin had noticed the hesitation and cold feeling around her. Something had happened to her that should happen to no one, and for some reason Robin wanted to stop her from hurting.

"Maybe you have your head up your ass," the dark girl snapped in response. "And if it wasn't for the fact that I _still_ don't have my cloak back, I would have left by now."

"Well, I'm glad I have a bargaining chip." Robin was indeed glad, otherwise he would no longer be in the presence of such a woman. And Raven was unlike any woman he had ever met.

"I am _trying_ to be as patient as possible with you… but if we don't end this soon, I _will_ hurt you." Raven snarled between clenched teeth. "And in ways you didn't think were even possible."

Robin stared at her for a long while. "If I return your cloak to you, do you promise to let us take you to the police station for a trial date?"

Raven's face turned white, her eyes got wide with fright, and she took a step back, away from him. "What? I can't turn myself in… I didn't even do anything wrong!" She cried. She couldn't go to the police, they would lock her in a cell that would neutralize her powers, and keep her from being free. It was an accident that the power plant was destroyed, she didn't mean for it to happen! Why should she be pushed for a mishap?

Robin crossed his arms over his chest and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I know of a partially destroyed building that would beg to differ with you."

"I was an _accident_!" Raven cried in defense, feeling rather helpless as he stood there berating her for a mistake.

"Accident or not, you still destroyed government property and it's the Titans' job to see that justice is served," Robin sounded strangely like he didn't _want_ to turn Raven into the police. Like he wanted to keep her free.

Raven sighed, then rolled her eyes as she accepted her defeat to the masked menace. She couldn't argue with the law of this land, even if she wanted to. "Fine, you can take me into the police, but can I have my cloak back first?" She held out her hand with the nearly forgotten birdrang, and offered it to him as a truce.

"Sure… follow me." Robin accepted the weapon calmly, then led the strange girl deeper and deeper into Titan Tower, until they entered the brightly-lit evidence room. Cyborg sat at the computer, watching the security cameras on the monitor, with Beast Boy and Starfire hovering around him closely. Robin knew instantly that they had been watching his and Raven's conversation, and for some reason, felt very sheepish about it. It hadn't _really_ been a private conversation, but personal things had been said, especially on Raven's part.

"So," Cyborg began, turning around to look at the two visitors, "This is the little lady we've been tracking down?"

Raven looked over at Robin, hoping he would speak for her. It was strange how comfortable and safe she felt with him, although she knew he _was_ going to turn her into the police. Even when she first saw him a few hours ago, there was something about it that kept her from fearing him in any way.

"Yeah," Robin said calmly, as he picked up the heavy cloak from the table it was lying on. "Here you go, Raven." He handed the cloak to her and Raven instantly threw it around her body, fastening it tightly before pulling the hood around her face. She vaguely noted that it smelled like the soft, thick scent that came from Robin.

"Well… let's go and get this whole police thing taken care of," Raven stated rather drearily, looking over at Robin.

Before he even had a chance to respond, a musical beep erupted from his belt. Rolling his eyes, he removed the communicator and flipped it open. He sighed and looked wearily at the other Titans. "Cinder-Block."

Everyone groaned and rolled their eyes.

"Again?" Beast Boy whined. "Didn't we just put him in jail two weeks ago?"

"Yeah, but what do you want from a man made out of concrete?" Robin questioned rhetorically. He turned back to Raven and shrugged apologetically. "Looks like you're going to have to come with us, if you don't mind."

"Of course I mind," Raven said irritably, "But it looks like I don't have a choice, do I?" She sighed and followed Robin even deeper into the tower, until they emerged into a garage holding a single piece of bright, red, automotive equipment.

"I'm sorry to say that this won't take too long," Robin said as he hopped on his motorcycle. Raven stared incredulously at the motorcycle, then at him.

"I hope you don't expect me to ride that." She stated flatly.

"I do." Robin said calmly, without flinching. "Now get on, you're delaying me."

"I'll fly, thank you," Raven sneered at him before raising herself into the air to take flight. Robin reached up and grabbed her ankle before she had the chance to move anyway. With a firm tug, he pulled her back to the ground and looked angrily at her. There was no way he believed that she was going to fly to the scene of the crime. If he let her go, there was a _good_ chance that he'd never see her again, and justice would be far from served.

"No way am I letting _you_ fly. Get on." He was firm enough with his words, that Raven had to give into him again that evening, and ended up straddling a fire-red motorcycle, while clutching to a powerless superhero for dear life as he raced mercilessly through the city streets. Needless to say, it was _not_ the best night that she had ever had.

"If it wasn't for that fact that I knew I would be punished," Raven began, as she quickly removed herself from the motorcycle, "Then you would be dead by now."

Robin smiled almost maliciously at her. "Didn't like my ride, Raven?"

She glared at him and pulled her hood over her wind-blown hair in response.

"Robin, you have arrived!" Starfire flew down from the top of the building to greet her teammate. "What has delayed you so much?"

Raven felt her face grow warm with embarrassment, and her eyes fell to the ground. She didn't _mean_ to delay Robin from him duties, but she did _not_ like motorcycles and had not intention of riding one, so she was willing to put up a fight if she had to.

"Traffic," Robin said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

Raven's gaze snapped back to the masked man. He didn't say anything about her delaying them. Why was he sticking up for her? She'd never given him any reason to stuck up for her. She was rude and snide whenever she talking with him, and she had plans to escape the moment he got side tracked, Robin knew this as well. So why was he lying for her?

"Where's Cinder-Block?" Robin asked quickly, ignoring the surprised and confused expression in Raven's eyes.

"Inside. Cyborg and Beast Boy are engaged in battle with him at the moment," Starfire said calmly as she started for the door to the old warehouse. Robin followed her for a moment, then stopped and turned around quickly.

"Come on." He reached behind him and grabbed Raven's wrist to pull her inside with the rest of the team. "There's no way I'm letting you stay out here unattended."

There goes her escape plan.

"I'm not a child, you know," Raven growled at him as he dragged her into the old warehouse, "And you're _really_ beginning to get on my nerves." She ground her teeth together to keep from saying anything more to the masked hero.

The warehouse was mostly dark, due to the lack of power to the city, but a shower of sparks erupted every so often because of the fact that a large, cement being was fighting two young superheroes. And losing, to boot.

"That's what you raced over here to fight?" Raven asked, raising an eyebrow. "Seems like a waste of your time."

"Oh, it is," Robin said shrugging. "But we've got justice to uphold."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Yeah, good luck with that."

"Cyborg! Beast Boy!" Starfire called in shock and surprise.

Both Raven and Robin's gaze darted from each other to the corner where Beast Boy and Cyborg seemed to have Cinder-Block cornered. The concrete beast seemed to have suddenly lost his balance and was in the process of falling to crush the two heroes like pancakes.

Without thinking another thought, Raven chanted, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" With that the rock-like beast was wrapped in a black aura and stopped falling, as if frozen in time. Raven raised her hands and tossed the cement creature to the side.

The thing raised its head and glared at the dark woman who had stopped his fall that would have destroyed two of the Titans. "Cinder-Block will crush you!" it yelled in a deep and angry voice. With that it rose to its feet and chased after Raven. She didn't even flinch as it came towards her, and raised herself off the ground in a battle stance.

From her new height, Raven noticed a steel beam lying idly on the floor. She let her powers control her for a moment as she levitated the beam to the creature, then twisted the steel around its upper torso and arms, rendering the creature helpless and top-heavy. It teetered around for a moment before falling to the ground again with a loud 'THUD'.

Everyone stared at the fallen villain, then at Raven. A shocked, heavy silence filled the whole warehouse as Raven began to realize that she had let them see her powers. Her face turned pink and she came down from her levitating position.

"Whoa… that was scary…" Beast Boy commented rather stupidly, when she set foot on solid ground again.

"Um… sorry you had to see that. I guess now you know for sure it was me who kinda screwed up your power plant…" She looked sheepishly around her, then back into Robin's face. It was still so odd that she found comfort in his features. "I suppose you should be taking me to the police."

Before Robin could respond, the doors to the warehouse flew open and a river of storm-trooper-like policemen rushed into the building to secure it, of course only after the Titans had done all the hard work. One of the policemen took one look at Raven, then ran over to the group of Titans and 'villain'.

"So, Robin," The policeman said as he approached the masked leader. "This must be the person who destroyed the power plant. Cyborg sent a message to us telling you would deliver her. Want me to box her up?" He jerked his thumb at the dark woman.

'Box me up!?' Raven thought angrily, glaring at the over-bearing buffoon. 'What am I, a Christmas gift?'

Robin glanced from the snarling Raven, to the idiot who had just insulted her, and time stopped for just a few long moments. No one was really sure what was going through Robin's head as he looked around, but one thing _was_ for sure. No one, not even Raven or the Titans, expected what came from his mouth next.

"Nope. She's not the one you want. Raven here is our newest Titan."

- - -

ARA! You guys really love my story! I'm SO HAPPY! ::Hugs all of the readers:: I was a little worried that no one would read it, but I'm really glad everyone liked it so much. I just have a few notes:

1 – I know all about Raven's past (As stated in Authors Notes of _A Raven Colored Past_). However, I really like to make things up, and allow them to bend in order to make the story more enjoyable. So for those of you who want me to use the comic book past of Raven, I'm sorry… it aint happinin'. But I hope you will not be displeased with my own take on her dark past.

2 – This goes the same for Robin.

3 – Review if you hated it, Review if you loved it… tell me to go punch Barney in the face. It's all good.

Lots o' Love: Xaph!


	3. Chapter Three

Okay! Normally I try not to put authors notes at the beginning of the chapter, because I feel it disrupts the flow of reading. But right now I am so PISSED OFF at some '_reviewer'_ called 'Steve'. This is the review he left on a story called **A Love Worth Seeking:**

AW SHIT YOU LITTLE BITCH...I HAVE TO AGRE WITH OTHER GUY ON THIS ONE TIHS STORY SUCKS ASS BUT THEN ALL YOUR OTHER STORYS SUCK ASS HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT RAVEN AND ROBIN DONOT GO TOGETHER YOU STUPID FUCKHEAD. I HATE THIS FUCKING PAIR AND I HATE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WRITE ABOUT THEM.JUST STOP WRITTING BECASE YOU SUCK. DAMN.

And I kid you not. If any of you have read **A Love Worth Seeking** you _should_ be as FURIOUS as I am. Lain the Fluff-Master, is not only an AMAZING author, but one of the nicest I know. And it just pisses the CRAP out of me when I see people who leave 'reviews' like that, without taking into account the amount of work that some one does on a story, especially one like Lain's. It is a sad sad world when people's IQ become so low that they feel they need to use excessive caps to get their point across.

So in conclusion:

Lain the Fluff-Master, This whole story is dedicated to you. In honor of having the guts to put up with someone like that.

And Steve, if you're reading this, get your head out of your ass, eat a sock, and burn in hell. We have enough stupid people sucking up our precious air, we don't need you doing it as well.

Thanks for putting up with my rant, everyone. I have VERY little patience for stupid people… just to forewarn you.

In the Beginning There was Darkness

Chapter Three

July 26, 2004

The silence was almost tangible as the teens filed into the living room back at Titans Tower. Everyone was still in shock over Robin's latest declaration, and no one seemed to have regained his or her voice yet. It was nearly impossible to belive that _Robin,_ leader of all that is good and just in Jump City, had accepted not only a _stranger_ into their exclusive team, but a _criminal_ at that. And now all of the Titans were wondering about the boy wonder's sanity, and whether or not he had lost it yet.

It took a long while for anyone to say anything remotely intelligible, and it happened to be Cyborg that broke the silence.

"NO WAY!" He shouted finally.

Raven jumped slightly and stared incredulously at the mechanical Titan. Cyborg's outburst, however, seemed to wake all of the other Titans up to the potentially dangerous situation on their hands. And he would let them know that.

"There is _no way_ that _she_ is becoming a Titan," Cyborg cried, shoving a finger into the dark girl's face.

Raven just glared at the finger, trying her hardest to keep herself from making it explode. Since when did he think that _she_ wanted this? To be part of some rag-tag group of superheroes fighting for justice, peace, and love. Justice, peace, and love could bite her for all she cared, she just wanted to be alone.

"Robin," Cyborg tried to continue without popping a blood vessel, but his voice was strained and spoken through clenched teeth. "Just because she saved us once does _not_ mean that she can be a Titan. It was a fluke, and you have to accept that."

Ouch. Now, that one hurt.

Raven's powers a _fluke_? There was no way that her powers could be a 'fluke'; she could control and use them just as fine as anyone else. And, this _boy_ had better realize it soon… before he started experiencing her abilities _first hand._

"Yeah," The green one interjected, turning to Robin angrily. "And it's not like we couldn't have taken care of it ourselves. We've been in tighter spots before." He tossed a very angry look in the dark girl's direction.

"Look," Raven said suddenly, eyes narrowing at the green boy in warning. "I don't want this anymore than you do."

"It's either this or the police station, take your pick," Robin said casually, smirking at her. He knew that he had won the upper hand in the situation and was fully prepared to flaunt it.

"You drive an unruly bargain," Raven scowled, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him. Robin grinned cheekily at her… a little _too_ cheekily. She really wanted to smack that smile right off his face…

"Oh, I know."

"Robin!" Cyborg snapped, reentering the conversation and feeling anger come over him again. Why was Robin so oblivious to the seriousness of the situation? He, of all people, should know that bring a dangerous stranger into the Tower alone was forbidden! And making this person a member of the team was… well, it was unheard of! Yet he was doing such things with ease and familiarity as if this _girl_ belonged here. What was even worse though, was that there was a strange new glint in his eye when he talked to Raven, and Cyborg didn't like it _one bit_.

"She's a _wanted_ criminal!"

Raven pursed her lips and looked away from the circle of accusations. Everyone had always treated her like this, since she could remember. She had always been treated like some sort of disease that was to be shunned and looked down upon. Raven was never treated like a person who had _thoughts_ and _feelings,_ even on her own planet. She was different… a _freak_ if you will, and there was nothing special about her.

"Her powers are _amazing_!" Robin said excitedly, vaguely noticing that a slight blush had appeared on the dark girl's cheeks. 'Hm… interesting. So, she allows herself to be complimented?' The masked Titan thought to himself, 'This could prove interesting.'

"And anyway," Robin continued, turning back to the other teens and hoping they hadn't sensed his slight hesitation. "I'm not saying we should give her immediate full access. Just put her on a trial period for few weeks… I know she'll turn out to be a great Titan." He chanced another glance over at Raven, whose blush melted into a very angry scowl. She glared at him, then turned away, not wanting to hear any more.

"Robin!" Beast Boy yelled, throwing his hands up in the air. "How hard did that tool box hit you!? She's a _criminal_ and a _stranger_. We can't trust her!"

Robin opened his mouth to yell back, wanting greatly to defend the new girl. There was something about her that intrigued Robin, from the moment he saw her beautiful, sad eyes glowing in the dark. There was something he felt he had to set right, and maybe having her join the Titans was a start.

Starfire stepped into the conversation immediately, hoping to quell the coming storm. "Robin," She said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking her head sadly. "We can not trust this woman. She is from Azarath, and nothing good _ever_ came from Azarath."

Raven's face went white and her body went cold as she was reminded painfully of her past. Although she did not want to remember anything about the place she had left, it was still where she had come from. And, yes, Starfire _had_ struck a nerve when she mentioned the Titan's inability to trust her… but to insult her origins in such an ignorant way, especially by a Tameranian, made her feel very empty and alone.

"Azarath is a world of demons," Starfire continued softly, being careful not to make eye contact with the new girl, "None of them are meant to be trusted."

Raven suddenly lost it. She couldn't help herself, everything had been building inside of her for days. Her mother, her father, her home planet, running away, getting trapped on this gods-forsaken planet, and then being beaten down with endless, cruel comments. It was all too much for even Raven to bear.

She just wished she didn't react the way she did…

"_I'm_ not to be trusted!" Raven yelled, whipping around and pointing an accusing finger at Starfire. She knew all about Tameranians and their ways, they had sucked the life dry on Azarath's second moon Yann. "_You're_ a _Tameranian_! I bet they welcomed you with open arms! _Parasite!_" Raven practically spit the last word as she glared into the other girl's endless green eyes.

Starfire was instantly insulted and refused to take any sort of crap from an _Azarathian_. They were cruel and loved nothing better than being that way. "I am no parasite, Blor-narg!" She screamed at the dark girl, eyes beginning to glow.

"Hashmir!" Raven cried back.

It was then that the two alien girls began swinging verbal fists, and each in their own, native tongue. The other men just stared at the two women, screaming back and forth in what sounded strangely like a serpent yelling at a child making up words. They knew they should probably break up the fight, but it turned out to be too amusing to witness, so instead they let it continue for a while. That is until…

"Der teshin harsemni zer flaré!" Raven hissed, eyes growing dangerously white, and her lips pressing into a thin, white line.

"OUT!" Starfire cried suddenly, pointing a finger at the door and losing her patience immediately. Green electricity hummed at the end of her finger, but no one even dared to question her about it. "GET OUT NOW!"

"Fine! I'll leave you to suck the life from your teammates, parasite!" Raven turned quickly and fled for the door. She had to get out of here and escape both this stupid team and this stupid world. She wanted to go far away, where she didn't have to talk to anyone. That sounded quite nice.

Robin pulled himself from watching the smack down and chased after her, wanting to make sure that she remembered his deal: no team = police. Pretty simple deal if you asked anyone with half a brain-cell. But Raven didn't seem to want anything to do with this world, let alone with the Teen Titans.

"Where do you think you're going?" He called, chasing after her and kicking his speed up to high gear. Boy, could this girl run when she wanted to.

"_Away_." Raven sneered sarcastically over her shoulder, not letting her speed decrease. "I don't need this." She saw the door to the outside and continued to run, making it barely five steps into the open air before Robin executed a flipped over her head and stopped right into her path. He raised an eyebrow and shook his head slowly.

"Raven," He stated rationally. "Come back and we'll talk this out. It just might take a while."

"Why should I go back in there!?" Raven reeled, loosing her temper again. In the distance she heard a rock explode, but she had just stopped caring at that point. These stupid 'Teen Titans' had taken her in, against her will, and now tormented her with insults and refused to listen to anything she said. "So, I can stand there and have your friends insult me, call me names, and tell me, point-blank, that I am no good and not to be trusted!?"

"I trust you," Robin stated calmly, never even batting an eye.

Raven sneered at him. "I don't _need_ your trust."

"Maybe not _mine_," He took a few careful steps toward her, hoping that she wouldn't run away. "But _someone's_. You feel… empty, Raven. Like you haven't experienced joy or companionship in a long while."

"And why should I?" Raven growled, trying to ignore the way her heart pounded with every step he took closer. Why was he getting so close to her? And why didn't she stop him from doing it? "Why should I have friends, with people like your precious _Starfire_ and her uneducated notions of my world? Why should I be allowed friends, when I'll only betray them when they need me the most?"

Robin felt very helpless as the two of them stood there in the pouring rain. He wanted nothing more than to help her, for reasons he did not understand, but found few ways to do so. His choices were limited down to three: he could let her go, and feel a strange sense of emptiness at the loss; he could take her into the police and feel a sense of betrayal; or he could convince the other Titans to take her in.

Why was the option_ he_ wanted always the hardest?

"Raven," Robin started again, looking inter her dark eyes. "For nearly a year it has just been the four of us, fighting crime and defending the weak. But…" he looked into her skeptical eyes carefully, not wanting to back down from anything she might try to throw at him. "I think we're all ready for a change, and you are _definitely_ that. It'll just take a while for everyone to get used to you."

Raven shook her head, sighing deeply in defeat. She couldn't live with them… there was no way. They knew nothing about her past, about her future, about _her._ Everything would only end in tears and anger, and she did not want that, not on anybody.

"Look, Robin…" She stated, trying to be reasonable with him, "I'm okay with being alone, I have been alone all of my life and that's fine." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, letting serenity wash over her. "So, take me to the police station if you must, and if I'm imprisoned for the next few years, then that's my own stupidity."

Robin only shook his head, then held a fist out in front of him. "You saved the lives of the Teen Titans, and whether you like it or not, you will always be a member of the Titans… and team members don't desert each other." He opened his fingers and offered a round, yellow, compact to Raven.

She didn't take the object, instead she stared at him incredulously as a strange feeling came over her. Why was he helping her? When she had done everything to escape him and her fate, when she had run, or tried to run, from him several times during the course of the night, why was he still trying to help her?

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing from Robin's hand to his face. "Why are you protecting me?"

"It's what I do. You know, being a superhero and all," Robin said calmly, almost cockily, the yellow compact still extended as an invitation.

"You're not supposed to protect the criminals, you know that right?" Raven said rather bluntly.

"I don't think you're a criminal."

There was a long period of silence as they just stood there in the rain, staring at each other. Robin had opened the door to a new life, and Raven wanted nothing more than to accept it… but she would be damned if she let Robin know that.

"Fine," She snatched the yellow compact and glared at him in frustration. "I'll join your little team…" She moved close enough to look firmly into his eyes, "But I want you to know how absolutely intolerable I think you are."

Robin cocked a lopsided smile. "I'll remember that." He headed back for the tower, motioning the dark girl to follow him. "Come on, I'll show you to your room."

- - -

Sorry, everyone, about my rant before. But I cannot STAND people who _could_ be _generally_ smart, but act stupid.

ANYWAYS!!! Leave _polite_ reviews, please! You can tell me that my story is bad and you hate it, and I'm okay with that, but if you leave a review like the one up above… I will hunt you down and inject you with intelligence… or shoot you. Which ever comes first… and I'm not making promises.

In any case, tell me if you loved it, tell me if you hated it, tell me to lead a crusade against the stupid people... it's all good!

PS: I don't own Teen Titans. If I did, Beast Boy would SO be mine.

PSS: If you haven't read **A Love Worth Seeking**, READ IT! It is an AWESOME Raven/Robin story.

PPS: Um, Lain? If you're reading this… you _might_ wanna check out what you posted for chapter five of A Love Worth Seeking. You put chapter seven up as chapter five by accident and all your readers are like crazy confused. I would have e-mailed you… but I don't have your e-mail.

Well… that's all folks! Enjoy your self in a non-stupid way! Ja ne!


	4. Chapter Four

In the Beginning There Was Darkness

Chapter Four

July 30, 2004

"Where can I put this?"

Robin looked up, from his place on the floor, to the woman who stood in front of him. He noticed she was levitating a rather large bed behind her, and looked slightly irritated. There was little wonder as to why. The other Titans had been shunning her for the past week; and although Raven _had_ participated in two different battles, and proved herself worthy on both occasions, they were still ready to jump on her for any fault she may make.

On the up side, in response to a near problem-free week, Robin had offered Raven permanent status of a Titan. And after some bantering, throwing things, and blackmail… Raven excepted, although not as eagerly as Robin had hoped. She was very hesitant about 'making friends with people who wanted her dead,' as she so delicately put it. Robin only told her to give them more time, to which she replied with a raised eyebrow.

In any case, she was now a member of the Teen Titans and as a sort of 'commencement gift' Robin told Raven that she could redecorate her room in anyway she saw fit. She wasn't exactly thrilled, but on the up side she wasn't nasty about the gift either. Unfortunately for the two of them, the other titans had matters of 'more importance' this weekend, and were no where in sight, leaving both Raven and Robin alone in the tower… and doing all the work.

"You can set it in the hall for now," The masked hero said as he stood up. There was a slight thunk as the bed landed on the floor. He cocked his head to the side and looked carefully at her. "Something bothering you?"

Raven sighed deeply and peeled off her cloak, throwing it into the closet. "When is something _not_ bothering me?" She questioned, pulling her hair back into a tiny ponytail and walking toward him.

Robin averted his eyes from Raven as she crossed the room to stand next to him. Although he _had_ seen her without her cloak once or twice before, it could still be a shock to him. He forgot _exactly_ why she wore that cloak, and was rudely reminded when she peeled it off. Underneath that cloak she was hiding the most beautiful and wild curves that any woman could dream of having.

"What did Star say now?" Robin questioned exasperatedly, rolling his eyes beneath his mask. The two of them had been going nonstop for the past week, whether it be in English, their own language, or just glares and sneers, you could _not_ get the two of them to say or do at least one _neutral_ thing to one another.

Raven rolled her eyes. "It's not just Starfire, it's everyone. It's not fair for you to be doing all the work."

Robin smiled slightly. "I'm not alone. And don't worry about it, Raven, I'm in pleasurable company." He winked at her, but Raven only rolled her eyes in response.

"I still think you're intolerable," She stated.

"I'm glad some one does. I'd really hate it if _everyone_ liked me."

Raven shook her head in response to his comment, then nodded to the large cans at Robin's feet. "Is that the paint?"

"Yep, I hope this is the color you wanted." He peeled back the top of the can to reveal a beautiful, deep purple that matched the color of Raven's eyes. Robin looked up at her, and in spite of all her efforts, her excitement still shone through her expressions. He cocked a slight smile in response. It was nice to see her reacting in a positive way… besides, she looked really pretty with her eyes lit light that.

"Yeah… it's a really nice color," She said, looking up at Robin.

"It matches your eyes," He said in response. Raven's cheeks flared suddenly and she looked away.

"Don't think complementing me is going to make you any more tolerable," She stated quickly, looking back at him as soon as the blush had faded.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Robin replied, grinning broadly. He poured the pain into a pan and handed her a paint roller. "Let's get started, shall we?" And for the next few minutes nothing was heard but the crinkling of the plastic drop cloth and the sound of paint being squished onto the wall. Finally, Raven turned to Robin and asked him a question that had been bothering her lately.

"Robin?"

"Hm?" He looked over at the dark girl.

"How did the Teen Titans get started?"

There was a moment of silence as Robin tried to put his memories in words. (remember, I'm making this up. And yes, I do know the history of the Titans. I'm 'reshaping' the history to work with this story) "Well… a while ago I kind of stumbled upon Cyborg. I went to go have my motorcycle fixed and there he was, working as a mechanic at the shop. I already knew Beast Boy, he had been sort of a side show freak in the circus I was working for-"

Raven looked up, surprised that Robin had let himself fall to such a level. Being a carnie wasn't considered the most desirable of jobs. "You were working in a circus?"

He smiled back at her, understanding the tone of her voice. "Yeah…" his smiled faded quickly. "My whole family did… we were a flying trapeze group. Actually... we were pretty good." He shifted a little uncomfortably before returning to the story. "Anyway… a good friend of mine was talking to the mayor of Jump City about what to do about the crime problem… and my friend recommended that I help out for a while. He and I had done some crime work in Gotham, and he had seen me fight. So, for a while it was just me, and occasionally Beast Boy.

Then I met Cyborg and started questioning him about his tech and so forth. In the beginning he was _really_ reluctant to be putting himself in such danger… but, it worked out in the end, he loves what he does now."

Then, over a year ago Starfire sort of crash-landed on our doorstep. And it's been the four of us fighting ever since…" He looked up at Raven and cocked a lopsided smile. "Well… at least until this _beautiful_ girl from Azarath came into our lives."

A paint can suddenly exploded on the other side of the room, spraying both the Titans with a very purple color. Raven quickly grabbed control of her emotions and turned to glare at Robin, who was now laughing quite hysterically at the situation he knew he had caused.

"Sorry!" he said between his peals of laughter. "Sorry!"

Oh yes, this meant _war._

"You missed a spot," Raven said flatly.

"Huh?" Robin stopped laughing, just in time to watch Raven rub her purple hands all across his once clean chest.

"Hey!" he cried suddenly as the cold paint seeped through his clothing and landed on his skin. "These were my best scrubs!"

"Ohhh, too bad for you," Raven said, smirking at him.

"You're so going down, Raven!" Robin picked up a handful of paint and threw it at her, smacking her in the face with it. He broke into another fit of giggles as he watched several different expressions fly across Raven's face, ranging from shock to anger.

"That's it! You are _so_ gonna get it!"

Before you could blink an eye the two teenagers began throwing globs of purple paint at one another in an all out paint-war. The two of them were laughing the whole time, or Raven was laughing as much as she could without blowing something else up. Finally, when the globs of pain ceased being airborne, Robin decided to something a little drastic, even for him.

"I have won!" He cried, tackling Raven around her middle. The two of them went sliding through the purple paint, like a slip-n-slide. They skidded across the slick surface of the plastic drop cloth, as Robin pinned the dark girl to the ground with his hands and knees. She just stared up at him, letting only a sliver of a smile show through.

"I hope you enjoyed that," Raven said sarcastically as she looked up at the boy who had her pinned in a puddle of purple paint. Strangely enough… she wasn't really bothered by the fight, or his weight upon her body. It actually felt… good. She had never really experienced _fun_ like that before.

Robin was breathing hard and grinning broadly as he stared into her intriguing eyes. "I haven't had that much fun in months!" He cried ecstatically, paint dripping from the top of his hair.

"Well, I'm glad I could help you with something… now could you let me up?" Raven asked raising an eyebrow and squirming slightly under the pressure he exerted on her body.

"Don't you think I deserve a prize?" Robin asked cockily, raising an eyebrow in speculation.

"For _what?_" Raven asked incredulously.

"For besting you! For winning the war!" He cried in triumph.

Raven only laughed coyly at him. "The war is not over, and you have only won a battle." She paused for a moment. "Now get off."

Without another word Robin rolled off her, only to land on his back in another puddle of paint. He cringed as more of the purple goo seeped into his hair. He looked over at Raven who was wringing the purple paint from her own hair and wiping it off her body. Even covered in purple, she was still magnificent.

"What?" She asked suddenly, looking over at him and noticing his blank expression. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Robin sat up, squeezed the paint out of his hair, and then stood on both feet. "Like what?" he asked automatically, approaching the dark girl.

"Like a have something on my face…" Raven said, raising an eyebrow.

"You have purple paint on your face… if that's what you're asking." Robin grabbed a rag off the floor and began wiping off his own body, suddenly wondering if he should regret the paint fight. This non-masculine color was going to be stuck on him for the next week.

"Never mind," She said exasperatedly as she finished wiping off as much paint as she could.

Robin looked over at her and noticed that she had missed a whole side of her face and began to laugh lightly. Raven looked… _cute_. Just completely innocent and oblivious to the purple streak that crossed her left cheek and neck. "Come here…" he approached her and took the rag from her hands. "You missed a spot." Then, with surprising gentleness and care, he wiped the purple streak from her face.

Raven just stared at him for a moment, feeling sort of foolish that he was taking care of her like that. No one had ever _really_ taken care of her, at least not since her mother had died. Strangely enough, it felt good to have some one look after her and laugh with her, like Robin was doing. It felt so much better for someone to not be afraid of her, or shunning her, or even wanting her dead. She didn't have to worry about all of that… but maybe she should. Raven couldn't let anyone take care of her, not really. Both her and the other party would only be hurt in the end. Just as she had been before she arrived on earth.

Raven batted his hand away and looked firmly into Robin's eyes. "What are you doing?" She asked irritably.

"Just helping you…" he offered her the rag he had used to clean her face, hiding his surprise from her. It was so sad to see her turn away from him, but just for an instant… she saw gentleness and thanks behind her dark eyes. And it only intrigued him more. "But if you don't want my help, just say so."

Raven shifted uncomfortably looking from his paint-smeared face to the rag in his hands. She _wanted_ his help… she was grateful for everything he had done for her thus far, although it was difficult for her to express it.

"Robin…" She started carefully, taking the rag from him. "I… I wanted to thank you for everything you've done so far. I know I haven't exactly been _grateful_ but… I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate it."

There was a moment of strained silence before Robin spoke. "Raven, I can tell that this transition isn't exactly _easy_ for you… but we're all here for you." He immediately regretted his words as soon as they came from his mouth. Raven was skeptical to _anything_ that included the other Titans, and she was not afraid to show it.

"No, Robin, _you're_ the only who has 'been here' for me. And you know it too," She looked tenaciously at him before sighing deeply and sitting down. "I just wish everyone would give me a chance… It's really hard for me to coexist with them if they keep shunning me." Raven sighed exasperatedly and looked away for a moment. She had been forced to teach herself to ignore what other people said or thought… but for some reason, she found herself wanting their companionship.

"Why don't you take the first step then?" Robin questioned, looking down at her carefully. "I mean, just offer to do one _nice_ thing for them. Maybe help them with their dish duties or something..."

Raven glared up at him suddenly. "I don't do _nice_."

"I don't know… you're nice to me," Robin said, nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders.

Raven's cheeks filled with color instantly and she looked away, hoping to get a strong hold on her emotions before something exploded. Of course she was nice to Robin, how could you _not_ be? After all the hurdles and back-flips he had done for her, along with his charm and charisma… how could you avoid doing at least _one_ good thing for him?

"You are impossible sometimes," Raven said, rolling her eyes.

"This is true, but I am an impossible guy who is helping you paint your room… not to mention the fact that I am also _not_ turning you into the police," Robin grinned at her, noticing the slightly shocked look on her face. It melted slowly into frustration as she realized he was joking.

Raven rolled her eyes in response to his false threats. "Do what you will… but I'm going to take a shower." She stood up and began walking out the door.

"Hey!" Robin cried, chasing after her. She stopped and turned around to look at him. "Winner gets to shower first!" he cried like a child.

Raven cocked a small smile in response. She had an idea that would almost guarantee her the shower first. "I'll race you to the bathroom then," She offered casually.

Robin opened his mouth to accept before a thought smacked him in the head. He looked at her as if he suspected foul play, and raised an eyebrow. "I don't fly."

"Not my problem." Raven shrugged.

"You're going down…" Robin said, baring his teeth at her in a snide smile. Before Raven could even think, he had stolen a head start out of the door and down the hall. The dark girl chased after him in an instant.

"That's not fair!" She cried from down the hall, "You cheated!"

"I didn't cheat!" Robin called over his shoulder, as he rounded a corner. "I used my resources to secure me a win."

"That's _cheating_!!" There was no way for Raven to win the race. She was too far behind, and she'd be damned if she lost another battle to the masked teen. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She cried, waving her arms in front of her and wrapping Robin in a black aura. He was immediately levitated to the ceiling, where he floated angrily.

"Now, _that's_ cheating! This is _not_ fair!" Robin cried, glaring down at the dark girl, who was smiling slyly up at him.

"I'm not cheating, I'm using my resources to secure me a win," She quoted.

"What a way to twist my words…" Robin sighed deeply. "Fine. You can have the shower first…" Raven set him down on the ground and shook her head.

"_You're_ the one coated in _purple_ paint." She smiled, handing him a towel in a truce. "I just wanted to make sure I could beat you at something."

Robin stared at her for a few long moments before deciding to speak. "You intrigue me greatly." Was all that came from his mouth.

Raven laughed lightly at him. "I'm glad I do something to you." With that she turned around and let him walk himself to the shower, without fear of pursuit.

- - -

Thank you to everyone!! Sorry about that last chapter's author notes… I know they were annoying. But anyway! Here's the fourth chapter, I hope you liked it! I know Raven was a little OOC, but ya know… to each his own. The next chapter should be out soon!

Lots o' Love: Xaph!

PS: I don't own Teen Titans, 'cause if I did, Beast Boy would SO be mine!


	5. Chapter Five

****

In the Beginning There was Darkness

Chapter Five

__

August 6, 2004

- - -

Raven paced for a moment outside the kitchen, peering through the doorway every so often to look at the back of Cyborg. He stood near the sink, trying desperately not to scream as he washed the _mountains_ of dishes left behind by the team members.

"I don't know why we just don't get a dishwasher…" he grumbled angrily as he set a bowl on the drying rack. "It'd be a hell of a lot easier…" He paused for a moment, as if he sensed something, then sighed irritably as he reached for another dish. "I know you're there, Raven. What do you want?" He asked shortly, without even bothering to turn around for her.

Raven suddenly felt slight color rise to her cheeks and the plate in Cyborg's hand exploded suddenly. He whipped around in a flash and glared at the dark girl for a few long moments. He stood there, just waiting for her to say something snide and resentful. She just looked away, feeling both shame and anger boil up inside her. When did he receive the right to judge her because of a dish?

"Um, sorry about that," Raven said, levitating the shards of Corelle into a trash receptacle. "I… I just wanted to know if you wanted some help…" She shifted her weight uncomfortably before turning to look back at the mechanical Titan. He watched her carefully as his expression melted into one of confusion, then suspicion.

"Why?" He asked coldly, expecting her to do or say something that would offend him, or endanger the team.

Raven sighed exasperatedly and took a few steps into the kitchen. Robin had better thank her for this, it was _his_ idea anyway. If it were up to her, she'd have long since left the tower. "Look, Cyborg… I don't want us to be on bad terms with each other. We have far better quarrels to fight than those amongst ourselves." She looked at him with sincerity and watched as doubt and a hint of guilt fluttered across his face.

Cyborg handed her a towel, and watched her for several moments longer. "Here, you can help me dry."

Raven accepted the piece of cloth as a truce, then walked over to the sink and started drying the tiny hill of clean dishes. The two of them worked in an awkward silence for a few moments before Cyborg turned back to her.

"Thanks," he said carefully, "For helping me."

Raven smiled slightly, feeling the tension ease immediately. "Sure…"

There was another moment of silence as Cyborg searched for a neutral topic to converse upon. It was very strange to be standing here, not saying anything, and washing dishes with a very pretty, dark, girl. Besides, he wasn't really known to be a man of few words.

"Ahh… so I hear your room is almost done," He asked, finally settling on the news of her new room. That was neutral enough.

"Oh, yeah…" Raven said, a hint of excitement creeping into her voice. "Robin and I just finished painting the trim." She put several plates away and turned back to the mechanical Titan.

"I can see that…" Cyborg smiled jokingly at her. "You still have a little paint on your cheek."

"Huh?" Raven pulled up a knife and looked at her reflection in the shiny metal blade. Sure enough, there was a small black streak across her left cheek. She rubbed it off with her thumb and looked back up at Cyborg. "Thanks."

"Not a problem…" There was another awkward pause, as Cyborg searched for another neutral topic. Since when was conversation such an issue with him? "So, ah… Robin tells me you like to read." He handed her another few dishes, and Raven nodded as she accepted the wet Corelle-ware.

"Uh-huh… earth's literature is very different from that of my home planet." She levitated some dishes to the top shelf of the cabinet and accepted new dishes from her companion.

"Oh?" Cyborg seemed generally interested in this topic, and pressed Raven for more information. Perhaps he could learn more about where she was from, and what it was like. All of that information was shrouded in mystery for the rest of the team, except for Starfire… who seemed to know everything _bad_ about Azarath. "How so?"

"Oh… well, books here are meant to be read for enjoyment and leisure. All the books on my home planet were educational, besides, few people could read anyway…" There was a slight pause, and Raven turned to the mechanical Titan feeling a little uneasy. "I don't really like to talk about Azarath… um, if you don't mind."

Cyborg looked mildly surprised and nodded in acceptance. "I respect that," He said calmly, deciding it was in his best interests to press the subject. He did _not_ want to be on the wrong side of her powers… he had seen what could happen, and it was scary.

"So, um… Robin tells me you're into cars?" Raven asked, hoping to redirect the conversation away from her. She didn't like to talk about Azarath in any way. It brought up painful memories, and she hadn't exactly fled the planet so she could _remember_ it. Besides, Cyborg looked happy about the new topic.

"Oh, yeah," he said, his one human eye glinting with excitement as the conversation was directed toward something he was knowledgeable on. "I'm working on some plans for a team car. It's gonna be so _sweet_, a V8 engine with…"

Raven let him drag on about all the specs of the car. Frankly, she couldn't care less about the car he had planed for the team, but she let him talk about it, as long as the topic was kept away from her and her past. After a moment of silence, Raven assumed that Cyborg was done droning on about his car and she returned her mind to the present.

"So, you're _building_ all of this then?" She questioned with mild surprise, while putting a few more dishes away.

"Yep, I'll be making the frame and all!" Cyborg boasted, grinning broadly.

Raven allowed a small, lopsided smile to curve her lips. Cyborg was unlike anyone she had ever met before. His boastfulness and gaiety made her laugh…

…on the _inside_.

And only on the inside.

"So, I'm supposing you're a whiz with power-tools then?" She asked calmly, putting a few more dishes away.

Cyborg laughed lightly at her as he handed her the last dish. "I _am_ a power-tool, in case you didn't notice."

Raven smiled, but was secretly taken aback by his comments. How was he able to joke about his situation like that? Like the traumatizing disfiguration of his human body was nothing, just another joke to be had. Raven's situation was far from laughable, no matter how hard she tried, and it confused her greatly to see some one like Cyborg make light of his situation.

"Thanks for helping me," Cyborg said as Raven hung her towel up, and they both headed for the door. He looked over at the cloaked girl and smiled his trademark smile, as a new and surprising thought came to him. "You know what, Raven?" He asked casually.

"What?" She asked flatly, half expecting a rude comment from him. It wasn't that she didn't trust him after their conversation… but it was only _one_ conversation. How could one conversation change his views of her?

"You're all right," He said brightly, putting a hand on her shoulder, "and I think you'll make a great Titan." Cyborg patted her shoulder in acceptance, then turned down the hall and headed to the garage.

Raven felt color rise to her cheeks instantly as she watched him depart. Cyborg had made friends with her, and said she was 'all right'. No one had _ever_ really been like that, except for maybe Robin. And although Raven continually told her self that she _didn't_ need the other Titans, and the only reason she was in this team was to avoid the police… she was glad to have made friends anyway.

"Wow… you're still alive," A voice said sarcastically from behind her.

Raven whipped around and glared into the dark shadows, recognizing the voice immediately. "You're going to be snide and say 'I told you so', aren't you?" She asked exasperatedly, rolling her eyes.

A brightly-colored, cape and mask-clad figure stepped into the dim hallway lights. He smiled cockily at the dark girl and laughed in the same manner. "Well, of _course_. I told you so, and it worked didn't it? Cyborg thinks you're 'all right'… and you've made another friend, Raven."

Raven felt frustrated as she stared into his smiling face. He made everything seem so easy, and fine. Like she _should_ have done it days ago… no matter how much the other Titans hated her. She stepped forward, determined to beat him at his own word-games, and pressed her face close to his. Raven instead found herself trying to ignore the strange way his scent made her stutter for a moment. What exactly _was_ it about this man that made her go nearly _crazy_ about anything and everything? "

You're insufferable, I'll have you know," She said firmly and finally to his face.

"Well! First, I'm intolerable, and now I'm insufferable… however do I manage that?" Robin asked, laughing at how cute Raven's face was when she got angry with him. Her eyes glinted with sudden infuriation and her cheeks and lips turned a light shade of pink… making them the perfect color for kissing.

'Where did that thought come from!?' Robin cried suddenly in his mind, quickly pulling his gaze from her lips and cheeks. 'She's _cute_ an all… but definitely _not_ dating material! I mean… _come on_! She's so dark and dreary, there's nothing even remotely romantic about her. I was probably thinking of the word _kicking_ anyway… yes, that's it. I meant _kicking_…'

"… And you're not listening to a word I say, are you?" Raven asked rolling her eyes at the vacant expression the masked Titan wore as she berated him for his snide comments.

Robin grinned, glad to be pulled from his thoughts. He wasn't sure how much longer he could go without doting on her. "Nope."

Raven seethed angrily, but said nothing more on the subject. It was pointless to even _try_ to talk some sense into him when he kept tuning her out anyway. "Is there a reason you tracked me down?" She asked irritably, "Besides to spy on my growing relationships with the rest of the team?"

"Actually…" Robin began carefully, hoping she would take the gift. "I was digging around in the storage room for the black curtains and I found this… I thought you might want it." He handed her a leather-bound book with gold leaf on the edge of the pages and stamped on the spine and cover. "Since, it seemed to be your taste and all."

Raven took the offered book and read the cover aloud. "'Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe'." She paused for a moment and looked strangely at Robin. "Who's he?"

"Poe was one of the first people to pioneer the horror story for amusement. He liked to play on people's irrational fear of death…" He shrugged slightly, trying to seem nonchalant about it. But it was hard to be nonchalant when Raven's eyes suddenly sparkled with interest… her eyes were very beautiful… no mater what his common sense told him. "Or so my only English teacher told me," He said quickly, looking away.

'Uh-oh… I'm doting…' Robin thought worriedly.

"Wow…" She looked at the book in her hands and smiled slightly at the masked Titan. "It's okay for me to keep this?" Raven asked carefully, hoping she wasn't taking anyone else's copy of the book. "No one else wants it?

"Of course not!" Robin laughed, "Few people in this tower actually read, Raven." He waved his hand carelessly, as if it was no big deal. Inside his mind though, he was desperately trying to ignore the elated feeling he felt suddenly. Raven was excited about his gift, and it made him feel kind of warm inside. Like a tiny fire had erupted in his chest and was spreading heat through out his body… specifically to his face. He was almost sure that his face was now the color of his shirt. "I'm sure we would have thrown it out or donated it anyway. Keep it."

"Thank you… very much, Robin," Raven said, her smile starting to grow a little more. No one had ever given her a gift before, and it made her feel kind of special. She wrapped her arms around the thick book and brought it too her chest. "That's really kind of you."

"It's not really a big deal, Raven… I just found it in storage and thought you might want it." There was a pause, and Robin shifted uncomfortably. Hopefully, she wouldn't figure out the truth behind the book. "Well," He rubbed the back of his head and looked around the empty hallway. "I've got some training to do and I'm sure you want to read your book… so… I'll talk to you later." Smiling one last smile, Robin turned and walked down the hall.

'Wow…' Raven thought as she reentered the kitchen. The living room was far to busy for silent reading, mostly due to Beast Boy having purchased a new video game. 'Robin's been doing a lot for me lately… I really wish there were some way I could return the favors.'

As Raven opened the book as small slip of paper fell from the front few pages. She picked it up and looked at it, suddenly surprised. It was a receipt for this book… and it was dated _today_.

'Jeez! That _cannot_ be the price of this book!' Raven thought as she studied the slip of paper longer. 'Robin… he…'

As all the facts began to click together after a few moments, the list favors that Raven wanted to repay got a whole lot longer. The story was now perfectly clear: Robin had _bought_ the book for her. He didn't find it randomly in a storage room, he went out a bought it. And paid a hell of a lot of money for it!

'_Why_?' Raven thought, grabbing her book and the paper slip as she started down the hall. She was going to talk to Robin about this, it wasn't necessary for him to be buying her gifts. 'Why is he being so nice to me? He's helping me with my room, he bought me a book… and he made me a _Teen Titan_! What is he _thinking_?'

Raven stormed down the hallway, suddenly infuriated. Robin was doing all these things for her, and she had no way to repay him. She would never be able to repay him for making her a Titan, let alone the room, the book, the protection… all of it was impossible to repay. She was in debt to him…

"Robin!" She called angrily as she threw open the gym door.

He popped up from the bench he was on to look at her in slight surprise and confusion. "Something wrong, Raven? Did Beast Boy put Tabasco sauce in your tea again?" He sighed deeply and rolled his eyes toward the ceiling as that particular scenario. "I thought I told him not to do that! You know, he can be _such_ a kid."

"I found _this_ in my book you just gave me," She forced out, holding up the slip of white paper with blue print.

The masked Titan's face turned instantly red at seeing that little piece of paper. "Oh…" He stuttered, trying to play it cool. It wasn't working very well. "Must be in there from when some one bought it. I told you none of the Titans really read." He grabbed a towel and wiped off his sweat… and that sweat was _not_ coming from his workout.

"It's dated today!" Raven cried, waving the paper in front of his face. She suddenly felt her anger dissipate and be quickly replaced by helplessness. The single feeling she _hated_ most. "Why did you _buy_ me this book? You shouldn't have! I'm not worth it and I don't deserve presents or gifts from anyone! Least of all from the man who gave me my freedom! I…"

Robin suddenly turned angry as Raven stood there, yelling at him. He was being reprimanded for buying her a _book_!? A book that he thought she'd like, no less. But instead of thanking him, she was standing there yelling at him! For being nice to her!

"SHUT UP!" He cried suddenly and loudly. He took a few steps forward and backed the dark girl against the wall. Raven had silenced immediately, and now watched him with wide eyes, not knowing what to expect next from the masked Titan. She had never seen him truly _angry_. Frustrated, distraught, upset… but never angry.

"You're_ yelling_ at me for getting you a book?" he asked, pressing his face close to hers. "I _wanted_ to get you a gift, Raven. You're lost without companionship, except for the strange…_whatever_… between us. I wanted to show you that that _whatever_ was really _something_. You're a team member, and a friend!" He stared firmly at her, watching as her lips trembled softly. There was a pause as another topic came to his mind. "And stop putting yourself down. You're not in debt to me! You're never in debt to a friend! You keep telling me how I shouldn't be doing things for you; how back on Azarath things would be different! You're not _on_ Azarath! You're on Earth and we do things just a bit differently around here."

Robin pressed the book deeper into Raven's arms, then back against her chest. "Keep it," He said shortly and firmly. His face was still close to her own, and the space between them was getting smaller and smaller… as if Robin might _kiss_ her.

"Thank you…" Raven whispered, suddenly slipping out to the side. Robin reeled back in surprise of the movement. He was suddenly very aware of the small distance between them just a few seconds before, and it frightened him. _How_ had he been that close to her and not notice it? And why did he want to be close to her… again?

"Just… just go enjoy your book, Raven, okay?" He asked, forcing a weak smile at her as thoughts rushed through his head like a raging river. "You _deserve_ it…"

Raven nodded solemnly, then quickly turned and exited the room without another word. She was desperately trying to figure out what had happened back in the gym. One moment he'd been yelling at her, the next he had her pinned against the wall and looking to _kiss_. It was a frightening thought…

…but not an unwelcome one.

- - -

Sorry, I had to cut it at such a weird spot. I wanted to get this chapter out before I had to leave for the weekend. But, don't worry, there'll be much more sexual tension (that's one of my favorite things about writing romances!!) and introspective in the next chapter! And Raven will win over the heart of another team mate. ALSO! For those of you who want some more Raven-Starfire nastines… be prepared, because I will unleash the evils that lurk within my brain….

MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!!!

Or something like that.

Anyway, just giving you some heads up! Thanks to everyone who supported my holy crusade against stupid people, I love all of you! Especially the ones who have to put up with it! KUDOS FOR YOU!

Lost of Love: Xaph!

PS: Tell me if you hated it, tell me if you loved it… tell me why Terra only paid 36 cents for two pieces of pie in the episode 'Betrayal' (if you watch carefully… she only puts down 36 cents for the bill… which confuses me. Since she bought _two_ pieces of pie!)

PSS: I don't own Teen Titans, otherwise Beast Boy would SO be mine!


	6. Chapter Six

In The Beginning There Was Darkness

Chapter 6

September 6, 2004

- - -

"Hello…" Raven said softly as she watched the green Titan stroll into the living room. He didn't even spare a glance as he walked by the quiet girl, Robin and Cyborg may have fallen for her tricks, but Beast Boy would not. He wasn't foolish enough to give into the spell that she cast with her innocent anger, frustration, and shadowed past. He didn't care if she jumped of the top of the tower, and that was that.

"Nice to see you too," Raven muttered sarcastically under her breath, rolling her eyes as the green Titan moved past her wordlessly. She returned to her book and groaned inwardly as the television turned on and Beast Boy loaded his new game: Mega-Super-Hyper-Bots Eight. Because, you know, that was the most creative and artistic title that she had ever heard of.

"Um, Beast Boy?" She asked, unsure of what might happen next if she provoked him. "Could you turn the volume down a little? I'm trying to read."

His head whipped around and his eyes narrowed into slits. He sat there, staring at her for a long while before making a hissing noise and saying nothing more. He turned back to the television and began noisily pressing buttons, without turning down the sound on the screen.

'Well, _that_ was a complete waste of my time and breath.' Raven sighed deeply, wishing she had the nerve to pound him on the head with the game controller… unfortunately that would provoke the wrath of the other alien Titan. Starfire had been _protecting_ Beast Boy from Raven's _evilness_ as of late. Too bad Raven couldn't protect the Titans from the _parasite_.

The doors 'swooshed' open, and the dark girl looked up into a pair of green eyes.

'Speak of the devil…' Raven tucked her book into her cloak, and after a moment's pause she stood up and began to head toward the exit, lest she be drawn into battle by the woman. Unlike Beast Boy, who felt the cold-shoulder was the path of best resistance, Starfire felt as though she should constantly insult or berate Raven for every little thing she may possibly do, be it bad _or_ good; and the Tameranian was _very_ vocal with her opinions.

"_Leaving?_" The alien girl snarled at Raven. The latter rolled her eyes and sighed deeply, just wanting peace from the redhead.

"Yes… does it matter to you?"

"You're up to no good," Starfire said, eyes crackling with energy that was itching to be used in a hurtful fashion, "I can sense it…"

"And your scent is driving me away further." Raven bared her teeth cruelly at the shocked face of the Tameranian. "I can smell it the moment you walk into a room." Starfire shot a single starbolt at Raven, who easily dodged it, a triumphant smirk mounted on her lips.

"You make it difficult to tolerate you," Starfire hissed as the dark girl started for the door again.

"And you started it, _Starfire_." Raven walked out without another word, almost wishing that Starfire would follow her, just so she could get a few more shots in. But, alas, there was no sound of footsteps only the muffled noise of robots being blown up. That meant Raven would have to wait until supper to insult her some more… pity.

"Ah, there you are!" A familiar voice called from down the hall.

Raven looked up and forced down the light blush that formed on her face, as the masked Titan jogged down the hall to greet her. She took a deep breath and locked eyes with Robin as he stopped in front of her.

"Um… hello," she whispered softly. Things had been sort of awkward between them since last week, when Raven had been so close to him. They had both realized the dangerousness of their situation, and what it could possibly provoke later. However, Robin, unlike Raven, decided the best way to combat such strange feelings was to simply ignore them, and continue on with life. Raven _couldn't_ ignore the feelings, as they could be her down fall later.

"I've got a surprise for you!" He called in a sing-song voice. Raven gave a start, then looked at him a little strangely, hoping that there would be no repeat of last weeks… er, _problem_.

"What?" She asked, as stoically as possible, although her heart jumped around a bit. She knew it was wrong for her accept gifts from the others, but she did enjoy it. After all, she had never been given anything unnecessary when she was on Azarath.

"Close your eyes and I'll show it to you," Robin said, grinning in his trademark way. He had _something_ up his sleeve, and Raven knew it. He never used that smile with her unless he was planning something.

"How am I supposed to see it with my eyes closed?" The dark girl questioned, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Very carefully," Robin laughed. "Now close them."

"You're impossible," Raven sighed as she let her eyes close.

"Oh, I know," Robin said conversationally, as he linked his arm with hers and began pulling her along the labyrinth of corridors. "You remind me of it on a daily basis."

"Yes, well, it keeps you check. Lest you be even _more_ impossible," Raven said as she was pulled around a sharp corner.

"Thank you for your kindness, fair maiden," Robin joked.

"Don't start that 'fair maiden' crap or I'll run away again," Raven laughed.

"You know, I always did love the thrill of a good chase." There was a minor pause as the two of them came to a stop. Raven sensed the presence of another person, and assumed that it was Cyborg. "Okay… open your eyes."

Raven's dark eyes fluttered open to discover her hypothesis true as she looked into the smiling face of Cyborg. She then turned to Robin and stared skeptically at him. "Um… is this my surprise?"

Cyborg raised an eyebrow as a smile twitched at the corner of his lips. "I'd watch it, little lady," He teased playfully, "Otherwise we'll take your surprise away."

"Come on, Cy. Move." Robin said, slightly irritated. "We worked too hard for this mindless chatter." Cyborg shrugged, then moved to his left and revealed a door, marked with a single word: 'Raven.'

The dark girl looked in slight shock from the masked Titan to the mechanical one. "Is this what I think it is?" She asked, happiness finding cracks in her voice to seep through. Her companions nodded at her question, grins plastered across their faces. Raven had wanted this for weeks now, her own room and privacy. And now… now she had it!

"Why don't you open your door?" Robin asked, nudging her a little and smiling.

"Okay…" the dark girl whispered softly and carefully. She raised her hand to the memory pad next to the door and pressed gently. Then with a magnetic hiss, the door pulled open and revealed Raven's new room…

… in all its tragic glory.

Raven's beautiful room was trashed. Books were lying on the floor, the pages burnt or ripped out. Her dark, silk sheets and bed things were ripped from her bed and torn to shreds on the floor. Candles and pictures that were gifts from Robin and Cyborg were broken and thrown across the room. The worst part of it all was the words "Blor-narg" and "Sethonsou" were painted across the wall above her bed.

"Awe, _hell no_!" Cyborg cried, staring in shock at the state of Raven's room. "I did NOT spend all that time for _this_ to happen!"

Raven backed out of the room and closed the door. Her breath was caught in her chest and it took a long time before she was able to look at her companions She turned around to stare into the equally shocked faces of Robin and Cyborg. "I'm guessing you didn't know anything about this either."

"No!" Robin said quickly and irritably. He was angry as all get out, who would harbor such hateful feelings against Raven as to terrorize her room like that? And after all the work that both he and Cyborg had done in the past few days. "I swear! Three hours ago your room was perfect, Cyborg and I fixed it up ourselves."

"Well," Raven shifted uncomfortably, eyes falling to the ground, afraid to tell them the truth. "I think I know who did… but you don't want to hear it."

"Oh, yes we do!" Cyborg yelled angrily. "Robin and I worked _too_ hard on this room for _you_. _No one_ has the right to do that to you. And if it was that little green twerp, I swear I will pound his ass into the ground."

"It wasn't," Raven said flatly, a hint of sadness lining her voice. "Not unless he knows both Tameranian and Azarathian. That's what language those words on the wall were…" Raven ran her slender fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. Her thoughts swirling around into a black mess in her head. She'd been nothing but the origin of anger and ill-feelings since she came here, surely Robin had to see that now. Raven wasn't wanted here, she _knew_ that… she had to leave, or something worse could happen next time. "Look, Robin and Cyborg, I don't want to cause trouble, but-"

Robin raised an eyebrow, staring at her skeptically as he cut off her sentence. He didn't want to hear her sad remarks last week, and he had no intention of hearing them this week. She was a Titan now, no matter what; and she would _always_ be a Titan. "Don't even start, Raven. I'm sick of your self-pity, and I don't want to hear it."

Raven's eyes glowed white for a moment at his ill-thought remarks. He didn't have to be so _rude_ about it! And besides, the state of her room should be more than a red flag to the masked Titan, he should know that Raven's presence in the tower was only causing chaos. "Well, _look_ at that room! I'd say that's a pretty good hint for me to leave!"

"No," Cyborg said calmly, as his lips pressed into a thin line. "I'd say it's a pretty good hint for me to go pound some justice into a snotty princess from Tameran. Come on you guys, I'm sick of her attitude and she's going to hear about it." He stalked off down the hall, muttering about stuck up aliens and their idiotic ways.

Robin and Raven stared at him in mild surprise for a moment, before shrugging off the strange situation and following him back down the labyrinth of corridors to the living room. Robin took a deep breath and looked at the girl next for him after a moment of silent walking. He watched her for a while, sizing her up and trying to decipher every move she made. Finally, as they approached the door to the living room, Robin decided to speak.

"Look, Raven…" he said carefully, looking deeply into the beautiful eyes he was becoming fond of, "I know you're on pins about being a Titan, but you _shouldn't be_. You're just as much a member as me or Starfire, and _no one_ has the right to treat you like that." He had stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to face her fully. "I don't want you to feel like every time something bad happens, you have to leave. It's not your fault at all, no matter what. We're just still getting used to you."

Raven shifted a little, understanding everything that Robin was trying to tell her. "I know… I just feel like no one wants me here some times. I'll either be ignored or insulted… or _something_, like when I was-" The dark woman stopped herself and her eyes wandered away from his trusting face for a moment.

There was a long pause in which Robin said nothing, he knew Raven was going to tell him something very personal, and he didn't want to upset her. "I've been alone for a lot of my life, Robin… my father never loved me and my mother was dead… and…" There was another pause as Raven tried to bring all her thoughts together, realizing that her scrambled bits of conversation were not making any sense. Finally, she looked at her companion sadly, deciding to tell him the information that was the most immediate.

"Robin, those words on the wall… they meant 'Half-breed'." There was a slight, painful pause as the masked Titan tried to piece it together, he was having some trouble.

"What?" Robin looked at her strangely. "I don't understand…"

"I'm not a pure Azarathian…" Raven took a deep breath and her eyes darkened slightly. "I _want_ to tell you about my past, Robin. I've been thinking about it lately, and you deserve to know everything… but it will take far longer than a few minutes, and…"

Shouts were suddenly coming from the living room; Robin rolled his eyes at the sound and Raven shifted a little, knowing she was the cause of discord.

"Nine tonight," Robin said as he edged closer, eyes locking with hers. Raven made no move to back away, there would be no frightened repeat like last week's. The dark girl would take everything that the powerless super-hero could throw at her, she didn't want to be afraid anymore. "You, me, and the roof."

Raven nodded, her eyes shining hopefully. "Nine."

"RAVEN!" The doors were thrown open and Raven jumped back, staring into the glowing eyes of Starfire. "YOU LITTLE SNITCH!"

Raven rolled her eyes and walked past her into the living room, Robin close behind. Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at the redhead angrily and she glared at the pair in complete and utter loathing (Sings: Loathing! Unadulterated loathing! For your hair! Your voice! Your clothing! I loath it all! Every little trait however small! Makes my very flash begin to crawl!). "I can hardly call myself a 'snitch' if Cyborg and Robin saw my room at the same time as me," Raven stated practically as she leaned against the back of the couch to look at Starfire.

"I can't belive you would sink so low, Star," Beast Boy said suddenly, glaring at the alien girl with disgust, and shaking his head in disbelief. "You and Raven have some mean fights sometimes, but _vandalizing_ her _room_?"

Raven fell to the floor in shock. "W-what?" She stuttered, blinking with wide eyes at the green Titan. "Beast Boy?" She asked carefully, hoping the green guy wasn't replaced with some body snatcher from Mars.

Beast Boy turned to Raven and shifted a little uncomfortably as the room around him went silent with shock and surprise. "Look, Raven…" the green boy started carefully, "I know that you and I don't always get along and all… and I took Star's side, because I thought she was right and we couldn't trust you because you were and stranger and from a different planet and all… But, how can I trust some one who vandalizes your _room_? And you never even got to enjoy it." He added the last part sheepishly and shook his head. "So, I'm sorry for all the things I did or said to you, Raven. It wasn't very nice."

Raven stood there and gaped like a fish for a moment. He did _not_ just say nice things like that… did he? What in the gods' names was this boy _on_? Honestly? "Ahh… thank you, Beast Boy, for standing up for me." Her cheeks flushed a light pink and Raven turned away.

"Yeah well, maybe I was a little too hasty in deciding who you were, so… let's try this again…" the green boy held out his thickly gloved hand, and smiled brightly. "Hi. I'm Beast Boy, and welcome to the Teen Titans."

Raven let a glimmer of a smile show and she took his hand carefully, fully accepting his apology for his rudeness. So, through Starfire's stupidity, Raven had gained another friend and made an ally. Irony was very sweet, when your enemy was on the other end. "Hello, Beast Boy. Thank you for welcoming me to the team," She said softly.

Starfire seethed with anger. "So, that's how it is!" the redhead glared at the green boy and all the other Titans, who were still getting over their shock. "I try to save this team from some one like _her_, and it gets thrown back in my face!"

Raven raised an eyebrow, and sighed deeply, suddenly wanting to just smack the girl very hard. "Listen, _Starfire_. I never asked for this, and neither did anyone else. But, everyone seems to be just _fine_ with me joining your team, except you!"

"That's because they don't know you! I know what your species is like!"

"Oh, do you?" Raven seethed, eyes glowing white. "_Princess?_ I bet you never even _left_ Tameran! Except to come to this planet!"

"Blor-narg!" Starfire hissed at her.

"Raven! Starfire!" Robin called, now knowing what that word meant. He did _not_ want Raven's wrath induced.

"Bitch!" Raven called out in English, then turned and fled from the room.

Robin sighed deeply and rolled his eyes before he started chasing after her. He paused near the door and turned back to Starfire. "Your punishment is to fix Raven's room and buy her new things. Cyborg will tell you exactly what you need, and I'll be by later to see your progress. I want it done by tonight, no exceptions." Without bothering to hear Starfire's complaint, Robin ran from the room, hoping to catch Raven before she tried to run away…

…again.

- - -

HA HA! I bet all of you thought I rolled over and DIED! Well, I didn't! I'm sitting here on my computer, it's 11:30 PM and I have to haul my happy ass out of bed at five AM so I can read Oedipus, the damned play about the man that killed his father and married his mother. YAY Greek tragedy!

The song I started singing in the middle of the paragraph is called 'What is This Feeling?' it's from a musical called "Wicked", and it is an AWESOME song, so if you have the chance I would listen to it. It makes me laugh… ha ha ha. Actually that song would fit CRAZY good into this story… maybe I'll type up the lyrics for next chapter.

Anyway… the reason this took so damned long to get out was because school started, and then I _just_ started obsessing over InuYasha again! Like out of no where, I'm suddenly watching it all the time and reading all these really good stories. So anyway, I was starting some work on an InuYasha story… so I'm kinda excited about that. Even though I'm already piled down with stories… ANYWAY!

Well, I don't own Teen Titans… and if I did… MAN! The Beast Boy would _so_ be mine!

PS: Tell me if you hated it, tell me if you loved it, tell me to get my ass back on my PC and write some more… it's all good.


	7. Chapter Seven

In the Beginning There was Darkness

Chapter Seven

September 18, 2004

- - -

Robin ran down the dark halls like the hounds of hell were after him. Although he felt sympathy and compassion for the dark girl, he _did_ have to admit that this running away business was getting rather old. And chasing after the rogue Titan wasn't his favorite pastime… although sometimes a chase _was_ invigorating. Especially when a pretty young woman was on the other end.

Robin suddenly burst through the front doors of the tower, only to find Raven sitting on the front step. She turned and looked at placidly, as if silently asking him, 'What's all the ruckus about?'

Robin looked at her strangely for a moment before deciding upon words to utter to her. "Um… hi." Pearls of wisdom, those words are.

Raven arched an eyebrow and looked at him oddly. "Hello… what are you doing out here?" She questioned flatly, her eyes turning back to survey the sunset more.

"I came to stop you from leaving…" The masked Titan said softly, feeling a little sheepish at the situation, "but I can see I don't have to." As Robin watched her, he had to admit how beautiful the young woman looked bathed in the fading hues of red, yellow, and orange. She looked like a beautiful, pagan goddess sent down from the heavens.

Raven let a sliver of a smile show in response. Sometimes that damned boy was just too kind to her. "No… you don't."

She moved over a little, signaling that she was ready to talk to him on a more personal level. Robin took the hint, and went over to sit next to her. He was deeply confused about why she chose not to run away; maybe she was ready to be a full-time Titan? Robin could only hope that was the case, but all the same he thought it best if he didn't press the issue right away, lest he be on the receiving end of her powers… again.

"I'm sorry about your room," Robin said softly, as he initiated more conversation. The silence was too awkward for him, and it was beginning to get annoying.

The dark girl shook her head in response, feeling a pang of guilt strike her suddenly. "Don't be. I should be apologizing to you, if I had never-"

"Stop it, Raven," Robin said, looking at her with a steely gaze. "You use the word 'if' too much in your vocabulary."

Raven made a sound of discontent as she avoided his eyes, and gazed into the sunset some more. "'If' is about the only word I _can_ use in my vocabulary."

"Maybe you should try some other words," The masked superhero suggested.

"I'll think about that," Raven replied sarcastically. She paused for a moment, and looked back at Robin, vaguely noting how the sun's slanted rays enhanced his masculine features and made him appear sort of handsome. In fact, he _did_ look handsome.

"What?" Robin asked after a moment. Although Raven may not have noticed that she was staring at him, Robin _did_ and it made his heart skip a small beat; although he couldn't figure put why. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Raven's face flushed and she looked away for a moment. "Like what?" She asked innocently, trying to hide her new blush, and keep something from blowing up.

"Like you were admiring my handsome features," Robin teased gently, a smile playing on his full lips.

Raven stared at him for a long moment before raising an eyebrow. "Maybe I was," she replied flatly, gaze never faltering.

Robin, although caught off-guard, was not going to let her win the game she had initiated. He just smirked playfully at her and made his move. "Do not tease me so, fair maiden! For I can never hope to secure the attentions of the great and auspicious Raven."

"You had better watch that foot of yours," Raven replied, trying to keep a smile from surfacing on her lips. "Otherwise you might find it in your mouth."

"I'll remember that, Raven." There was a long pause as they looked at each other, as if surveying one another and their emotions. After the pause became too confusing, Robin then spoke again. "Are you alright, Raven? I mean, it _was_ a bit of a shock to not have to chase after you."

Raven took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling some of her nervousness and tension dissipate. "I'm sick of running away… besides…" She looked away from her masked companion for a moment, as if afraid to look into his trusting face. "You make me feel like I have a home here."

Robin watched her silently, knowing she was eventually going to tell him her whole story, but for the time being she was silent. He didn't mind the silence, in fact he enjoyed it. It gave him time to study Raven more than he ever had before. Just a week ago he remembered dismissing the idea that the dark girl was pretty… and this was true. Raven was _not_ pretty, she was _beautiful_.

Robin found everything he wanted beneath that dark exterior; he found beauty that was more than physical, he found compassion, friendship, and even humor, on occasion. He didn't know how long he had felt this way… but he did. Everything about her intrigued him, kept him guessing, playing, and fighting. She was… _Raven._ And he liked her that way.

"I told you I was a half-breed, Robin," Raven whispered finally, snapping the masked Titan quickly from his thoughts. "My mother was human, she was raped by my father the demon lord of Azarath. I have the body of a human, and the powers of an Azarathian."

Robin watched her intently trying to decipher every move she made, or every emotion that passed over her glazed eyes. She looked, most of all, sad and frightened, but he made no move to say anything, in fear that she would run away again. He wanted to keep her here with him, no matter what the cost.

"I grew up on Azarath, because my mother felt that I would be teased and tortured as I child on earth. Little did she know the same fate would befall me on Azarath. As a child I was scorned and mocked; I was called _veshmer_, which means 'Bastard Child'. My mother protected me and gave me a reason to live, although she herself could not. She died when I was seven, leaving me in the hands of my father. It was not a pleasing few years, but it was better than what came afterward…" Raven's eyes had now filled with unshed tears, and her gaze never left the sunset. She wished her fears could fade and disappear, just like the sun; but, alas, such could never be the case. She had to remember everything, and grow stronger.

"I was leered at, by my own father and his minions, when I turned the age of fifteen. My father, however, desired not only my body, but my powers as well. Because of the unholy union between him and my mother, my powers were unstable, but far stronger than his own were; and he feared me… but desired me as well.

"For two years I resisted and battled him, always winning in the process; those two years changed me, and I had to leave. So, I left…" Raven took a low, raggedy breath as her first tears fell down her face. "Then you found me, and took care of me… I owe you everything, Robin. You were able to make me feel strong again."

"Raven…" Robin didn't know what to say. He had no idea that she had been through so much over the course of seventeen years, and now he felt terrible for all the meant or cruel things he had thought or said. No person deserved what she had gone through, and he only wished there was some way to make the pain go away.

"I just… I wanted someone to know, Robin…" Raven finally looked back at him. "I don't mean to be the way I am… I can't help it."

"No one blames you, Raven," Robin whispered, cupping her cheeks and wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "You've endured things no one will ever fully understand… and it's not your fault."

Raven nodded slowly, feeling her face suddenly flush at the contact he had imposed. Her mind was suddenly spinning through hundreds of images of her and Robin, and all the time they spent together. Why didn't she ever understand all the feelings and emotions he spurred within her? Was she so oblivious and naïve, that she never grasped the true meaning of the twisted stomach or flushed face?

She was falling in love with him!

_She_ was falling _in love_ with the conceited, big-headed, egotistical, smart-mouthed, teasing, playful, some-what kind… and (let's face the gruesome truth here) _handsome_ Teen Titan. Had she gone completely out of her mind? What exactly _had_ changed within Raven? But more importantly:

Why didn't it bother her?

Raven pulled back slowly as Robin let his hands fall from her beautiful, porcelain face. He looked supportively at her and tried to smile, but his heart was pounding too ferociously within his chest for him to ignore. The girl, whom he just realized he loved, had not protested when he touched her. But even more significant, was that nothing had exploded, imploded, or levitated onto his head; her powers had been completely controlled.

"We're here for you… _I'm_ here for you…" Robin said carefully, hoping his wording didn't sound strange to her; he didn't want to frighten her away. "For anything you need us for."

"I know… thank you." Raven smiled weakly at him, her eyes focusing on his mask. For the first time she noticed that he never removed the mask, and it made Raven wonder what he was hiding beneath it. Was he horribly disfigured, or so handsome that he had to hide his beauty from the rest of the world?

"Robin?" She questioned softly.

"Yes?"

The sun had long since faded and the two of them were embraced by the starry darkness. Robin looked even more handsome as he sat under the stars, looking curiously at his dark companion as she conversed with him.

"Why do you wear a mask?" Raven asked plainly, feeling a slight heat rise to her cheeks. It proboly wasn't her place to ask or anything… but _come on_ anyone who saw Robin had to be somewhat curious about what was hidden from view.

Robin grinned back at her. "To mystify any woman that looks at me."

The dark girl rolled her eyes. "Or?"

"I don't know," Robin said, his smile fading into a mask of calmness as he looked at the sky. "I guess it's just always been like that with my family and me. We always used to wear masks when we performed our stunts… and it kinda keeps me connected to them." There was a minor pause. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh… just wondering about my teammate," Raven said nonchalantly, as her own eyes glued themselves to the sky above.

"Do you want to see me without my mask?" Robin asked casually, trying to ignore the painful beating of his heart. He hadn't taken his mask off since his last days with Bruce Wayne, but he would be more than willing to show Raven what he hid beneath the dark lines.

"I don't know… I guess." Raven's eyes became unglued, and she turned to look at the masked man. "I don't want to invade your privacy or anything." That was a lie… she wanted to see what he hid beneath that mask since the day she met him. What was so mysterious that he had to keep it hidden?

Robin said nothing more, then pulled the material from his face and looked at her, smiling a little sheepishly.

Raven could only stare in slight shock. What her handsome crush had, with his mask on, was nothing compared to when the mask was removed. His eyes were perfectly shaped, with long, luxurious eyelashes that framed the most beautiful, green color that Raven had ever seen.

"Oh." Was all she could say.

"So… should I keep my mask off more often?" Robin cocked his infamous smile, recognizing the look on her face as surprise. Did the dark girl have a soft spot for his features? Maybe she wasn't _so_ different from pure-human females.

As soon as he asked that question, Raven found herself at an impasse. On one hand, she could say 'no', which was what she _wanted_ to say because, honestly, who wanted to _share_ that?; but he would misinterpret her 'no' and think that she thought he was unattractive. On the other hand, she could say 'yes' and gaze longingly upon his face… with five million other girls behind her. What to say! Oh, what to say!

"The mask gives you the macho look. If you kept it off, you'd end up being called a pretty boy." Well, _that_ was _suave_, wasn't it?

"So, you think I'm pretty?" Robin asked carefully, his smile never fading.

"No, I said you'd be _called_ pretty," Raven stated flatly, rolling her eyes. She knew he was doing this on purpose; he liked playing games with her, although she could never figure out why.

"_Do_ you think I'm pretty?" Robin cocked a smile, signaling that he had initiated the game; and he was ready to play!

Raven arched an eyebrow skeptically and stared at him stoically. "I'm not answering that."

"So, you _do_ think I'm pretty!" Robin cried, a grin spreading across his face.

"I never said that!" Raven cried in defense, eyes narrowing at him.

The masked Titan puffed out his chest proudly, smirking at his dark companion. "Ah, but you didn't deny it!"

"You're putting words in my mouth, buffoon!" Raven cried, her face flushing a bright red as a small rock exploded in the distance. Why did he _insist_ on pushing her feelings around! He should know the danger if her emotions got out of control. Raven was _only_ going to blame him if she accidentally blew him up, it would _not_ be her fault.

"_You're_ the one that said I was pretty!" Robin said, biting his bottom lip to keep from laughing. Raven was always so adorable when she was frustrated. Her cheeks got red and her eyes flashed brightly as she just glared at the masked menace for minutes before something exploded. She was just so… cute.

_Dangerous_… but still cute.

"I never said you were pretty!" Raven cried helplessly. She knew she had lost the game he had started, there was no way to win it now; all she could do was sit there and have him tease her shamelessly.

"What if I said _I_ thought you were pretty?" Robin's smile had suddenly faded into seriousness, making Raven's heart bound in her chest, ears, and head. She stared at him with wide eyes and a tangible silence. Had he really said something like _that_? Did he realize what kind of trouble he could get into by saying such things!

"I'd say you were insane." Raven stood up to leave, hoping that she didn't have to see him for the rest of the night. Why did he insist on making her emotions run wild!

"Then call me crazy," Robin bolted up and grabbed Raven's upper-arm and pulled her close to him.

'Please don't let something blow up. Please don't let something blow up. Please don't let something blow up…' Raven chanted as her mantra. The feeling of being so close to him was sure enough to make _something_ explode.

"Because I think you're the most beautiful girl I've met."

BOOM!

Raven pulled away quickly as she looked at the exploding boulder. Robin looked from the boulder to the dark woman in front of him and raised an eyebrow. "You did that, didn't you?"

"Ah…" She backed away as Robin's emotionless face locked eyes with her. "I think I'm going to bed…"

A smile peeled across Robin's lips and he nodded once in acceptance, locking those gorgeous green eyes with her own. Raven felt her heart pound even faster as she gazed into them.

"Sleep well, Raven," Robin whispered softly.

Raven nodded, then turned around. "You too…"

- - -

And that's the end of this chapter folks! Sorry I wasn't able to get this out sooner, but I didn't have the internet for a while! Ahh the pains I have!! Woe is me!! Any whooooo…

I don't own Teen Titans, dur, and I hope you enjoy the last few chapters of this story, because I imagine it will all be wrapped up shortly.

Lots o' Love: Xaph!

PS: Tell me if you hated it, tell me if you loved it, tell me to just SHUT UP… it's all good!


	8. Chapter Eight

****

In the Beginning There Was Darkness

Chapter Eight

__

October 4, 2004

- - -

Raven sat on the curved couch, book in hand and the welcome silence enveloping her like a warm, heavy blanket. It had been a long time since the woman was allowed the pleasure of quiet, and indulged in the sweet luxury.

The time was nearing two o'clock in the morning, and all seemed perfectly well in Titan Tower… all except Raven's new room. Her bedroom was still in disarray, and would continue to be so for the next few days. Thank you, Starfire, for your diplomatic approach to the dislike of another being.

"I thought I saw the light on."

Raven's eyes shot up from the page in front of her to gaze upon a stunningly handsome face. Her face flushed red for a moment as she realized a sudden problem: His face was completely naked. Robin wasn't wearing his mask, and this could prove to have some _very_ interesting effects on the dark girl.

"Um… yeah…" Raven stuttered for a moment, quickly avoiding any eye contact. Gods, did she hate the emotion of love. There was no way for her to argue or banter with him any more, all because her cheeks flushed, she got tongue-tied, and things could blow-up. It really sucked having unstable powers sometimes. She moved her feet, from their resting position on the sofa, to allow Robin a seating place. He smiled politely and sat down next to her in acceptance of the greeting.

"So… um, I see you're still reading that book." Robin commented after a moment of slightly awkward silence. He noticed Raven's delicate and slender fingers were clasped around the pages of the book he had bought for her a while ago. It made him feel really special that she liked the book and was still reading it, he was a little afraid she wouldn't like it and forever mock him about it. Just the same, it _was_ nice to know that _he_ had done something for _her_.

"Oh, I'm just reading it again. I haven't really had the time to go to the library… you know it's really inconvenient living in the middle of a giant lake," The dark girl stated the last fragment conversationally.

"This is true," Robin said laughing. "Grocery shopping is no picnic."

Raven watched his eyes sparkle like newly polished emeralds, and it made her whole body weak with a strange emotion. What was it about Robin that made her so… _crazy_? Around any other person she would have felt completely normal and relaxed, but because of her… er, predisposed '_feelings_' for Robin, she felt as though she were under constant scrutiny. And man did scrutiny really bite!

"So, what brings you here?" She asked, closing her book and setting it aside. She continued to try and avoid direct eye contact, lest she be turned into a beautifully crafted Jell-O mold. Her companion shrugged nonchalantly at her question.

"I saw the light on and thought I'd come and have a chat."

"A chat?" Raven arched an eyebrow and stared at him incredulously. "Over _what_?"

Robin laughed lightly, smiling his trademark smile at the dark woman. "Anything you want to talk about."

"Okay," she replied flatly. "I want to talk about why you're here at three in the morning, don't you sleep?"

"Don't you?"

Raven opened her mouth to retort, but realized Robin had gotten the best of her. She sighed deeply and rolled her eyes in defeat. "Touché."

"Actually…" The green-eyed man looked away for a moment, as if reaching for something out of sight. "I was out yesterday, and came across a book sale. You know, I just found a couple things I thought you might like." Robin pulled out, from seemingly no where, a plain paper bag and handed it to her.

Raven looked at him, then at the bag and felt the strange sort of helplessness she always felt when a gift was offered to her. She wasn't used to being adored or showered with gifts, and always had trouble accepting such things. Fighting the strange sensation, she took the paper sack and noticed it was fairly heavy. "What is it?" She asked, looking at her unmasked companion strangely.

"Open it." Robin smiled slyly at her.

"If it's a shrunken head, I will hurt you," Raven replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, in _that_ case…" Robin grinned as his dark friend shook her head at him.

"You're impossible," Raven sighed.

"Oh I know… you told me more than twelve hours ago."

"I'm just keeping you up to date." Raven smirked playfully.

"And I thank you, fair maiden. Now open your bag." Although Robin enjoyed their witty banter back and forth, he really wanted her to see what he had gotten for her. He was proud of the selections he made, and wanted her to be happy.

Raven pulled open the edges of the bag and pulled out four books. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the smile that peeled across her lips. Robin had bought her four new books to add to her collection; he was a smart one.

"So, I'm judging by your _smile_ that you like them?" Robin teased playfully, feeling the fear ebb away.

Raven blushed a little, but nodded happily. "Of course I like them… but, you shouldn't buy me things, Robin." She set the novels in her lap and looked firmly at him. "It's not fair to you."

"I'll try and remember that," He replied calmly, ignoring her pleading completely. She truly didn't understand how wonderful it made him feel when she said she liked the books. He never _wanted_ to shower anyone with gifts before, but he wanted to shower Raven. He had never wanted for anyone's happiness so much before.

Raven rolled her eyes at him again, then her attention turned to the volumes in her lap. She read all the titles silently to herself, and looked questioningly back up at Robin. "What are they all about?"

"Well…" Robin smiled, knowing he could use this explanation as an excuse to get closer to her; he had all of this planned. Choreographed, if you will, like a dance. He scooted across the couch to the fair maiden, and picked up the first novel from her lap. "_Jane Eyre _is about this young woman who ends up working as a governess in this man's household, Mr. Rochester. She falls in love with him, but finds out that he has a wife and keeps her locked up in the house because she's insane. She runs away and ends up living with a relative of hers… well, the rest of it enfolds from there."

Raven looked at him strangely, feeling very odd at being so close to him. She had forgotten how nice he smelled and desperately wanted her wrap herself up in his cloak… or arms. Preferably arms.

Her face flushed immediately and she thought she heard a glass break, but tried to give it no heed. Although she knew it was dangerous to be this close to Robin, she couldn't care. Through her whole life she'd been running away from her problems; fighting them off instead of facing them head on. And Robin was a problem she _definitely_ wanted to face.

"Let's see…" He set _Jane Eyre_ aside and picked up the next novel, this time making sure his chest was in contact with her upper-arm. The touch was electric to him, and if he hadn't been trying to flirt with the dark girl, Robin would have stayed in that position far longer than a few seconds. He glanced at Raven's face, hoping to see some sort of indication there. Suddenly, the superhero smiled slightly; was it just him or were her cheeks a fair shade of pink?

"_Dracula_, I remember reading this book a few years ago. I loved it." There was a pause as he thumbed through the pages, then looked back at Raven. "It's about this vampire who comes to England and begins to feed on the humans there. And it's got a bit of a love story in it."

"Wow…" Raven took the book from him, her eyes alight with sudden excitement. "Is it frightening?" She questioned innocently, looking up at Robin. He was taken aback by her beauty, and nodded slightly. He had almost forgotten what she looked like when she was excited; it had been a while ago when her eyes lit up like that. The last time Robin had presented her with a book.

"It's a little creepy," Robin said, after a moment to regain his composure, "but, it's worth it." He grabbed the second-to-last book and smiled suddenly. "Oh, I loved this book. I remember reading it last year. _Don Quixote_ is a hilarious book about a man who reads so many knight stories, that he imagines himself a knight and goes on all these 'epic' adventures in the name of his love, who happens to be a bar whore. I thought it was great."

Raven looked at the book with a strange expression. "Um… okay."

"_Don Quixote_ is kind of a satire of the people in Spain at that time," Robin explained, immediately recognizing the look on her face as 'why should I read this?'. "It's funny, but it's got a deeper meaning with history."

Raven looked at him with a blank expression for a long moment, before speaking simply. "You're well-read, aren't you?"

A light blush covered his cheeks and Robin shook his head. "Not really. Before I became a Titan, there wasn't much for me to do during the day, so I tended to read a lot. I got a lot of encouragement from the friend I was living with anyway."

Raven looked at him strangely for a moment, then spoke. "I've heard you speak several times of this 'friend', who is he?" She questioned bluntly.

Robin usually blushed or got angry when someone questioned his origins of a superhero, but this time he just smiled. "Someday, I will tell you all the things you want to know, Raven. But that day is not today." The dark girl was taken aback by his comment, but felt comforted by it. Someday she would know everything about him, and she liked that prospect.

He set _Don Quixote de la Mancha _a side and smiled as he picked up the last book. Swallowing hard, he looked at the cover, then at Raven and felt his breath catch in his chest. He had intended on using this book as a bridge.

A bridge for a kiss.

"This is _Pride and Prejudice_," He said, his voice a little softer than before. He felt his heart pound in his chest and his muscles seize up, as he leaned in a little closer to Raven, showing her the cover of the novel. "It's about this rich, haughty man who moves to this tiny English country hamlet, and slights the society there. But later he ends up falling in love with one of the women… and well, it all goes down-hill from there."

Raven looked at the book, then took it from his hands. "Haughty, like you?" She teased suddenly, looking up at her unmasked companion. She smiled playfully at him, before noticing the serious look at his face. Her face melted into concern, as she noticed his aura seemed very tense and nervous. "What is it, Robin? Is something wrong?"

"Elizabeth, in the book, reminds me a lot of you. She's smart, witty, and even snide sometimes. But, she still ends up being a wonderful person… and a beautiful character." His voice or expression never wavered or faded. He spoke the truth to the dark woman, looking into her eyes and never away.

Raven now noticed how close they actually were and felt compelled to pull away quickly. But she didn't. No, she sat there, as if frozen, and watched as Robin inched closer to her, his eyes fluttering close. Was she _really_ going to let him do this?

His lips touched hers.

Oh yeah, there was _no_ way she was stopping it now.

She leaned forward gently, and reached one hand up to stroke the smooth skin on his face, as she tenderly kissed him in response. Raven had never been kissed before, and wished she had met this boy _years_ ago. He was… _amazing_. He was gentle and caring, but at the same time allowed for all of his feelings to pour through. Gods, had she been missing out.

Robin, on the flip side, thought he was going to just scream with pure enjoyment. He never thought Raven would let him kiss her, let alone actually kiss him back. His feelings right then were indescribable, and all he could do was smile.

After a moment, the two pulled away, blushing brightly. They looked away from one another and tried to say something neutral, but neutrality turned out to be silence.

"Um…" Robin said after a moment more, feeling his face turn redder. "I'm sorry… I probably shouldn't have done that."

Raven turned sharply to stare at him in shock. "W-why not?" She asked, her voice wavering slightly. Did he not care for her? Was the kiss some sort of sick dare by one of the other boys? Gods did she hate men! They never thought of anyone else!

"I shouldn't have violated your space. I didn't mean to push you to do something you didn't want," Robin whispered in response. "No matter how much I wanted it," he muttered that last part under his breath, but it was just loud enough for Raven to hear it, and she blushed instantly. So, he _wanted_ to kiss her, that was good to know.

"Don't worry…" Raven whispered, leaning her head against upon his shoulder, "I wanted it too."

Robin looked down at her in surprise before smiling and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. His whole mind and body felt elated at what the dark girl had just said. She _wanted_ him to kiss her, and so he had! Maybe there was going to be something between them, and he couldn't wait to find out what.

"So, what are you trying to say?" He questioned, pulling her closer to him and looking down at her.

"I'll let you figure that out," Raven whispered softly, as her eyes suddenly started to flutter close. She had never felt so warm and languid before, and found it hard to resist the urge to sleep.

Robin smiled, his own muscles beginning to relax at the warm feeling. "Well, I guess I'll just have to ask you tomorrow…" He whispered before his eyes closed.

Raven had the last laugh, by saying: "Or kiss it out of me…"

"I'll hold you to that…" Robin replied, before the both retired to a state of slumber.

- - -

HI THERE! Sorry this got so long to get out, but I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off! I've got work, practice, parish mission, school, and all this other CRAP that I don't want to do… so I'm really trying to get it all done! There's only one chapter left, I think… so…

ANYWAY! I don't own Teen Titans (DUR!) and I hope you will all read my new Teen Titans story, which will hopefully be out _SOON_ (and yes, it IS a Raven/Robin pairing!).

Review if you hated it, review if you loved it, try and swing my vote for either presidential candidate… just write me _something!_ I love you hear from you!

Love: Xaph!


	9. Chapter Nine

**In the Beginning There was Darkness**

Chapter Nine

_December 6th 2004_

- - -

"Hey."

Raven's eyes bolted open, and she let her gaze fall upon a handsome face, void of any mask, and bathed in the rich, warm hues the sunset radiated. She shifted a little uncomfortably as her face turned the same shade of the sun.

"Hi…" She whispered, eyes falling from the mortal god's face.

It had been nearly a week since Raven and Robin's evening of bliss, and since then, Raven had done everything in her power to avoid any sort of contact with him. For five days she ducked, dodged, and excused her way out of his sight, never letting him string more than two words together if she happened upon him.

Raven wasn't sure why she acted this way, all she knew was that now, after their kiss, she felt inadequate and beneath him. She was never attractive enough, smart enough, witty enough, or talented enough to be within ten feet of him, and therefore she kept her infatuation at a distance.

However, the whole plan was sort of backfiring in her face, because the more she avoided Robin, the more pains he took to seek her out, and the more troublesome the whole ordeal became. Also, having no contact whatsoever with Robin, was really starting to bug her. She had never noticed how truly attached to the masked hero she had become.

Robin, on the flip side, was going crazy with the way she kept avoiding him. He wanted to pin her to the ground and make her explain all of her ridiculous antics. It was as if she was upset or disgusted by what had happened five nights ago. They kissed, so what? He had asked her if she was upset, and she replied she _wanted_ to be kissed, so what was the current game she was playing? Was it: 'Let's Annoy the Crap Out of Robin Week?' and no one told him?

"Raven." He said firmly.

Raven cringed immediately and turned back to him. She _hated_ that tone of voice. She was only been living with the Titans for a few months, but she knew that tone with Robin, and _hated_ to hear it come from his lips.

"Yes?" She questioned, trying to keep her composure. "Do you want something?"

There was a moment of silence as their eyes argued with one another, then Robin nodded curtly. "Yes. I want you to sit where you are sitting, and don't move a muscle." He approached her, then seated himself next to the dark maiden not saying another word.

Raven stole a glance at him, and noticed the strange, ambiguous look on his face. He looked as if his mind was struggling between many different emotions, and was undecided upon a single one. He appeared to be happy, angry, sad, worried, nervous, but above all, he appeared to be frustrated; and she knew the origin of that frustration.

"Raven…" He said softly, finally turning to look at her, "If something is bothering you, let me know. I _hate_ these games of hide and seek you're playing. It's not fair to either of us, and we'll never get this… _whatever_ worked out if you can't face me."

Raven said nothing and turned away slightly, hoping to find answers elsewhere. What could she say? Spill out every feeling she had tried to keep secret? Pour out the inner workings of her soul? There was little or nothing she could do that wouldn't initiate some sort of backlash.

The silence was ear deafening and seemed to continue forever, and the dark girl from Azarath had nothing to say. No, that wasn't true. She had a lot to say, she was just too nervous to say it. How could she explain her feelings to him, when he made her feel so strange and ill at ease?

Robin sighed deeply and stood up, shaking his head in disbelief. "Forget it," he said irritably and coldly, starting for the roof door. "If you're not willing to talk to me…"

Raven sat, terror-stuck at what was happening before her eyes.

'What is he doing?' She asked herself as his hand fell on the doorknob. 'No! He can't leave! He's the only one I can talk to, the only one who understands me… the only one who's ever _really_ accepted me.'

It was at this revelation, Raven knew what she had to do. She had to open up to him, and talk to him… she had to show him that she cared.

Robin was walking away; he was giving up on trying to work things out with her. She couldn't let him leave, she had to keep him by her side. She wasn't sure _why_ she was so needing of his presence, but she was well aware that she needed him.

"Wait, Robin." Raven jumped up and went to him. He looked at her, never saying anything and waited in patient silence for her to continue. She looked flustered, and stuttered for a few moments before anything more was said.

"I'm just… worried."

A smile spread across the boy wonder's face. "Well," He said, reaching out and taking her hand, "That's a start." He led her to the edge of the rooftop, and they sat down together, looking out at the sunset.

"Why are you worried, Raven?" Robin asked, turning to her.

"I… I don't know. I've never really felt this way about anyone, Robin," Her dark eyes locked with his own sparkling, green. "And no one has ever shown interest in me before, except… except with my father." She choked a little on his name, and turned away, face flushing suddenly. She was still trying to forget everything that had happened, no matter how futile it may be.

"Raven…" Robin whispered, not sure if he should let her brood, or if he should gather her into his arms and kiss her. He knew the pains and problems she went through, and he wanted to keep her from hurting, but how was he supposed to do that when she kept pushing him away?

"You were the first person to accept who I was, Robin… you showed me something no one has ever shown me… and I guess I'm not sure which way I should go." There was a pause as she turned to look at him. "When I'm with you, Robin, I start to feel all sorts of things, and I like them."

Robin's face lit brightly at her innocent and romantic words, and he pulled the dark girl into his arms. She all but melted into his embrace, and wrapped her arms tightly around his chest, burying her face into his neck, as if looking for a place to call home.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry I'm so much trouble for you," Raven whispered, trying to keep tears from falling. She didn't want to cry. She had never cried over anything, and wasn't about to start now. She was a strong woman from Azarath, and refused to let anyone tell her otherwise, including her emotions.

"Raven… shhh," Robin cooed in her ear, stroking her hair gently. "You're not _trouble_ for me. You are… you are everything I want, and anything but trouble." He kissed her temple innocently and cradled her tighter to him. "I love you, Raven…"

Tears rolled down Raven's face. It was the first time she cried since her mother died, and it felt nice. It felt nice to let her emotions come pouring from herself, and not to keep them locked away.

"I love you too, Robin…" She whispered.

- - -

Starfire paced back and forth, glaring at anything that moved even an inch. Needless to say, that Beast Boy and Cyborg were under constant scrutiny of her cold, steely eyes. However, they both knew that the origin of her ill feelings and frustration came from the fact that Robin and Raven had been missing for over two hours now.

"Where are they?" Beast Boy asked as they ducked out of the living room, lest they be Starfire's new prey. "They've been gone too long for a fight, and not long enough for a date."

Cyborg chuckled slightly, raising a skeptical eyebrow at his green friend. "Think about what you just said, BB." There was a small pause and the smell of something burning before Beast Boy responded.

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'." They rounded a corner, and Cyborg shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't see a problem with it or anything. I mean, if they're happy and all."

"If who are happy?"

Cyborg and Beast Boy started, then turned around to find Robin and Raven standing there, looking nonchalant, and… and _holding hands_!? The two other Titans' mouths dropped to the floor, and they stared incredulously at the 'couple' for a few, long moments, as if they weren't _quite_ sure what to make of the situation; or, more importantly, how to _respond_ to the situation. One wrong move and they would have a creepy alien _and_ the boy wonder on their cases.

"Um… okay, when did _this_ happen?" Beast Boy asked carefully, hoping that he wasn't treading on 'dangerous ground', especially with Raven, that girl could be _scary_ when she wanted to be.

"A few days ago," Robin stated calmly, drawing the dark girl nearer in a protective manner. "Don't tell me you guys don't approve," He stated warningly, raising a speculative eyebrow.

"No, it's just… it's just a little surprising…" Cyborg smiled encouragingly at Raven. "But if you're happy, then I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Cyborg," Raven responded, a half-smile gracing her face. "That means a lot to me." She was glad that Cyborg approved, she didn't want everyone to hate her because she had fallen for Robin, or even more importantly: was dating him. She just wanted to get along with everyone, including Starfire. No matter how painful _that_ may be to initiate.

"R-robin?"

Speak of the devil.

"Hi, Starfire," Robin said carefully, shifting a little uncomfortably under the Tameranian's shocked gaze.

Even Raven had to feel a little bad for Starfire. It looked as though her heart had just been broken in two, and smashed painfully on the floor. She looked from the masked, powerless superhero, to Raven and back again, her face showing signs of helplessness.

"I… I just wanted to see how you were doing," Starfire whispered, taking a step back and averting her eyes from the couple in front of her. She stole a glance at Raven and whispered, "I finished your room… if you're wondering." There was another long, awkward pause. "I guess I'll just go now…"

Without another word she turned and flew around the corner, down the hall to her own room, where she undoubtedly brooded in her pain, and wallowed in her sorrow. What else could the girl do? After all, she _had_ lost the battle to exterminate Raven from the band of Titans, not to mention losing the heart of a certain masked Titan. It just was _not _a good day for the poor Tameranian.

Raven sighed deeply and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "My conscience is getting the better of me," she muttered almost painfully. Shaking her head, she looked at Robin and slipped her hand out of his gentle grasp. "I'm going into the lion's den," she stated flatly, "and don't try to stop me."

All three male Titans looked at her in shock, as if silently asking her if she was sane, or if she had lost her mind. Just a few days ago they had been at each other's throats, and now it looked at if the dark maiden was going to go console the crazy one. Who warped the space-time continuum?

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Robin asked, glancing around carefully, as if waiting for the redhead to pop out of the wall, or something. "I mean… it _is_ Starfire."

"Yeah," Cyborg piped up, "you guys were ripping other's hair out yesterday, and now you want to _talk_ to her?"

"Well," Raven said, shrugging slightly, "what else can I do? It _was_ kind of my fault and all… you know," she rolled her eyes, "for being such a _demon_."

"You're not a demon," Robin said automatically, "and it's not your fault."

"Still…" Raven sighed and nodded curtly at Robin. "If I'm not back in an hour, call a forensic scientist." With that she turned on her heel and followed the trail of the redhead from Tameran, hoping she didn't disappear in the process.

Raven stopped outside her door and stared for a few moments. What exactly was she hoping to accomplish by this 'meeting'? She _knew_ that Starfire wanted nothing to do with her, and yet she felt compelled to at least _try_ and make amends. After all, they were teammates now, and teammates usually worked together… as a team.

Taking a deep breath, the dark maiden raised her fist and knocked lightly on the metal surface, waiting for some sign of life within. There was a soft rustle of fabric, then a strangled "yes?" from inside.

"Starfire," Raven said, trying to sound supportive, but feeling like she was asking the lion to come and eat her flesh. "It's Raven, can I come in?"

There was a long pause, a snuffle, then Starfire replied acidly, "I _guess_…"

'_Why_?' Raven asked herself as the door slid open. She carefully stepped inside, suddenly wishing she could step back out again. The whole room was covered in fuzzy, pink things, and gave the dark girl the feeling that she was standing in a molding bottle of Pepto-Bismol. Glancing carefully around the sickening room, she noticed the melancholy redhead, lying on the bed. Raven sighed slightly and approached her with caution.

"Look, Starfire," the dark girl began after another pause, "this stupid _spat_ between us has gone on too long. You have misconceptions about my planet-" an evil glare erupted from Starfire "-and I have them about yours…" Raven added quickly, "but, we're teammates now and I don't want us to hate each other because we're 'supposed' to. We're better than that." She finished her sentence and looked at the distraught maiden, shaking her head slightly. "You're a great Titan, Starfire… and I want us to be a team. We'd work together a lot better if we worked as a team."

Starfire sat up and rubbed a few tears from her eyes, still sniffling slightly. "Does working as a team mean destroying my heart?" she asked painfully and sharply.

Raven took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to think about how she should respond to that. She was trying to get Starfire to be a more pleasant person towards her, or at least get her on neutral ground, but it didn't appear to be working as well as she hoped. 'But how much could I hope for when this girl was ready to kill me?' Raven thought, rolling her eyes again. She turned back to Starfire and shook her head slightly, feeling very frustrated at this whole situation.

"Look, Starfire, it wasn't my intention to 'destroy' your heart. Robin and I grew closer together, that's all. There was no intentional pain… and I'm sorry that you feel that way." Raven stepped closer to Starfire, who was slowly looking a bit more hospitable as she contemplated the other girl's words.

There was a long pause before Starfire looked up into the dark girl's face, her own façade showing signs of a possible truce. Perhaps Raven's visit wasn't _entirely_ in vain, maybe there was _some_ hope to be found in her enemy.

"I know that you never meant to hurt me… but… it's so hard to trust you," Starfire said as she shifted uncomfortably for a moment, then looked away. "I've been told my entire life how terrible Azarathians are, and when I finally _met_ one I wasn't sure what to do…" She sighed deeply moving to the side and offering a place for Raven to sit, who accepted her offer with slight caution.

"I just want us to be a team, but I was confused on what you would do and how you would react. And I know the room thing was a little extreme…"

"A _little_!?" Raven asked incredulously, voice spiking in shock of the other girl's stupidity. "You call walking into your room to find horrible insults painted on your wall a _little_ extreme?"

Starfire squirmed, desperately trying to avoid Raven's eyes. "Well… I'm sorry, just the same. I'm not quite sure what I hoped to accomplish by doing that… but I do know I didn't accomplish it." She sighed deeply, looking back at the dark girl. "I can't be your friend right away, Raven. So much has happened before and after you arrived, that I'm not sure where I stand with you."

Raven smiled a little, nodding in agreement. "I had no intention of walking out of this room your friend, Starfire. But we're teammates now, lets at least _attempt_ pleasantries. Besides… who knows, in a few months we could be regular friends."

Starfire nodded, allowing a small smile to show through. It was clear this whole meeting was uncomfortable to both of them, but they each felt as though a better team was being accomplished by it. "Yes."

Raven suddenly stood up and headed for the door. There was not much else to say, a truce had been issued and the Tameranian and Azarathian were now on neutral grounds… even though it was hell to accomplish. She paused and turned around to look at the redhead, who appeared to be in a slightly better mood, but not by much. "Have a good day, Starfire," Raven said firmly, smiling just a little.

"You do the same."

Opening the door, Raven walked out, feeling more at ease than she had her entire life. True, she hadn't made another friend, but she had gained a new teammate. And to top it all off…

"Hey there."

Raven looked up into a pair of masked eyes. A smile played on the lips of the masked 'stranger', and he bent down to give her a kiss.

"Hi."

She had found love…

"You're still alive," he teased, wrapping his arm around her slender waist.

"Barely…" Raven rolled her eyes.

"Friends?" Robin asked, the dark girl only laughed.

"No. But not too far from being teammates."

"That's good…" There was a slight pause as he continued to smile at her. After a moment, he took her hand as they walked down the hall. "Let's go get something to eat."

"Okay…"

…and, she had finally found a place to finally call home.

- - -

OH GOSH!! I thought I was _never_ going to get that out!!!! I _know_ it took me forever, and I'm REALLY sorry, but it's been one stress on top of another stress, on top of another stress… and it becomes a never-ending cycle. I'm ridiculously behind in my English class, and National Honors Society is just about ready to kick me out. Oh well, at least I got my story finished!! YAY!!

Now I have time to work on **_Black Magic_** and a new one I _just_ started writing called **_Solidarity?_ **Which will hopefully be out within the next week or so, but I'm not making any promises. I _still_ have three papers to write by the 9th… damn school to hell and make it burn there… grrr. Anyway! Review PLEASE! I really want to know how the ending worked for you!!

Lots of love: Xaph!

PS: SNEAK-PEEK at: **_Solidarity?_**

_Before the Titans banded together, they were each their own superheroes leading double lives of normal citizens. Then a threat forced these five bantering teenagers together… what happens now?_

… an accidental meeting would set a ball into motion that would never stop rolling.

"Dick!"

Richard Grayson looked up, then smiled and waved at his friend through the Plexiglas window at Fatboy's Burgers, motioning him to come inside and sit with him.

The green friend outside waved back, then trotted inside the dirty, old restaurant. He plopped down in a seat across from the green-eyes, dark-haired, stunningly handsome college student, and currently closing a battered textbook.

"It's nice to see you, Gar. You're not usually on this side of town… what brings you here?" Richard asked as he signaled for a waitress to come and take their order.

"Oh, you didn't hear?" Garfield Logan asked, pulling out a slip of folded paper. "I was cast as the plant in West View Theater's production of _Little Shop of Horrors._ I've been out here a lot lately." He grinned brightly as his friend made a confused face.

…

Richard leaned over the table and dropped his voice low. "Stop playing games, BB. You're never on this side of town, what brings you here?"

Garfield looked around carefully, before leaning forward to match eyes with his friend. "There's a new one. Here, on the West Side."

"I know. She's been cutting into my own missions, and making a nice clean job of it. I can't find _any_ clues about her."

"You know it's a she?" Garfield asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah, I caught a glimpse of her once. Trust me, I don't think a guy could have a rack like that."

Garfield laughed. "Whoa… maybe I should meet her too."

"Don't count on it. The millisecond she saw me, she bolted. It was like she didn't want to be seen by anyone," Richard sighed deeply, taking a sip of his Coke.

"Well… it's certainly a change from that Starfire chick. She'll fly circles around you, flipping her hair and giggling," Garfield chuckled, watching the look of disgust cross Richard's face.

…

As Richard trudged up the last flight of stairs, muttering to himself, he could hear the sounds of moving furniture and groaning. He finally came to his landing and looked at the door next to his own. It was standing ajar, which gave him a sliver of a view of the inside. Making a strange face, and hoping it wasn't something he didn't want to see, Richard looked inside. There, crawling around the dirty floor of the tiny, studio apartment, was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. With deep purple eyes and shining lilac hair, it looked as though a dark angel had moved in next door.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SNEAK PEEK!! And remember to review!


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